Blood Feud
by glassangelrose
Summary: LAST CHAPTER UP! When Kieran Hemlock is arranged to marry Ambra Ellwood the two bloodfeuding families toast to a new era of peace and friendship. But when Kieran falls for a human and threatens to break his promise the whole NW could suffer the concequ
1. Invisible

"Lilianna!" Her mother bellowed up the stairs, over Sophie's wailing and Ginny's squealing.

Lilianna glanced up from the book she was reading, _Pride and Prejudice_, and heaved a heavy sigh. She wearily tumbled out of bed and locked the door to her room.

"Lilianna!" Her mother screamed, her voice going up an octave.

Lilianna still ignored her. She yanked open her closet with a bit more force than necessary, flinging through her small pile of clothes for something decent to wear. She found a cute blue flowered tee and some jean shorts to wear with it. She quickly threw them on, grabbed her blue and black backpack and flung open her window.

"LILIANNA JADE MCKENNON!" Her mother stormed up the steps and banged violently on the door. "GET YOUR BUTT-"

Lilianna didn't wait for her to finish. She swung herself out the window and nimbly climbed down the hidden ladder she'd built there when she was twelve. Her best friend Darci was waiting for her with her prius as she reached the grass. Darci revved the ignition and Lilianna jumped eagerly into the car and yelled, "Go!"

Darci pressed down on the accelerator and the tires let out a long shriek.

"So," Darci asked, simultaneously turning the wheel and smearing on lip gloss. "What's up?"

"The usual," Lilianna sighed. Darci nodded understandingly. "I forgot shoes. Do you have any cute sandals I can borrow?"

"Of course," Darci was used to this by now. "I also brought makeup and jewelry too."

"Thank God!" Lilianna said gratefully, scooting in the back to strap on the sandals and apply makeup. The shoes were cute; brown wedges with pretty ankle straps. "I didn't even have time to brush my teeth. Don't look too disgusted though, I brought my tooth brush and tooth paste. I can brush them at school."

Darci gave her a troubled look, her thin eyebrows scrunched together and her full lips in a sorrowful little pout. "Was it really that bad this morning?"

Lilianna tried to shrug nonchalantly, but she couldn't fool Darci. They had been friends for too long. "Sophie had thrown up on the rug and Ginny and Garrett were fighting. Daisy also insisted on wearing a leotard to school but my mom didn't have the time to stop her. She was too focused on cleaning up the vomit before it started to smell. She only remembered I existed once Tristan spilled a whole box of cheerios on the floor and she needed help cleaning it up."

Darci flashed a sympathetic smile. Her animated blue eyes studied Lilianna carefully, trying to measure how upset she was. "I'm sorry. I can't even imagine what it must be like to live with eight younger siblings."

Lilianna averted her watery brown eyes and started to fiddle with the radio. "It's like being invisible." She spoke so softly that Darci wasn't even sure if she had meant to say it aloud.

She reached out to comfort her but Lilianna shrugged her off. Darci took the hint, plastered a playful grin on her face and changed the topic.

"So, do you think that Aaron is finally going to ask you out?" Darci raised her eyebrows and her aqua eyes sparkled excitedly. When she smiled, Lilianna couldn't help but smile back.

"I don't think so," Lilianna laughed, glad to move on to a lighter topic. "I think we might just be friends."

"Please, he's totally into you. Don't tell me you haven't noticed. You two have been flirting since you met last semester in bio." Darci looked at me disbelievingly.

"Okay, so maybe he likes me," Lilianna admitted, blushing slightly, "but he's too shy. He's never going to _actually_ ask me out."

"Then you ask him out," Darci suggested, with a little wave of her hand. "Problem solved."

Lilianna smiled charmingly and rolled her eyes. "Whatever. Did we have math homework?"

"Yeah. Lots of it. We had, like, ten problems." Lilianna sighed sharply and bit her bottom lip nervously.

Darci gave her an admonishing glance. "Let me guess. You didn't do any of it?"

"I didn't have time! I was watching my siblings while my mom worked. It doesn't matter though. It's not like I'm going to be a mathematician or anything." Lilianna fired back defensively, yanking a brush through her hair. After a moment of awkward silence she asked, "Should I braid my hair or leave it down?"

Darci heaved a wistful sigh but dropped the subject. "It's going to be hot today, I would braid it."

Lilianna snorted. "It's always hot in California." Darci chuckled and turned sharply onto the narrow road leading up to the school.

The car skidded to a stop in front of a large, grimy, white sign welcoming them to Washington High School. It had a peeling yellow smiley face in the left corner and there were several dents in it.

Lilianna finished up dabbing on rose pink lipstick and mascara as Darci pulled into a parking spot. She cut the engine and turned to face Lilianna. "Ready?"

Lilianna made a face and Darci made a face back. "Yeah, I know. School sucks."

Lilianna smiled softly and whispered, "Show time."

With that Lilianna and Darci opened the car door and strutted towards the school with all the confidence of a movie star. After all, they had an image to keep up.


	2. Hollow

**Disclaimer: Don't own night world…be amazing if I did though**

The Ellwood and Hemlock families had hated each other for as long back as anyone could remember. No one really knew who started it; it seemed as though every Ellwood and Hemlock member had a different story, but there came a time when all blood feuds must come to an end. The apocalypse was coming and everyone knew that if they wanted to survive, they needed to stick together. Especially since the vampires were planning on taking over the rest of the Nightworld.

Cypress Hemlock rubbed his forehead dejectedly. It was so tiresome to end a blood feud. There were so many compromises and arrangements. After many weeks of arguing and being painfully patient, he and Jasper had finally reached an agreement. His only son would marry Jasper's eldest daughter, Ambra. Cypress looked up at his wife Camelia and she nodded her head encouragingly.

Cypress took a deep breath and called, "Kieran!"

The butler, Cole Brambles, peered into the lavish library. "Sir, Kieran isn't home at the moment."

Cypress's lips thinned and he exhaled sharply. "Well, where is he?"

"I think he said he was taking a walk, sir." The butler nervously twisted the silver ring around his pinkie finger.

"Well, inform him that his father should like to speak with him the moment he returns." Cypress stood up firmly and dismissed the butler. He turned to his wife and looked into her clear green eyes for support. She gave him a small smile and flipped her long black hair over her shoulder.

"I'm sure Kieran won't make trouble." She crossed the room and gave her husband a quick hug. "He knows his duty. He knows what this marriage means to our family."

Cypress remained stiff and huffed. "That boy is the most belligerent child I have ever had the displeasure of raising. I swear, even Laurissa isn't that difficult."

Camelia pulled away and gave him a withering look. "I suppose you blame me?"

Cypress snorted. "Sure as hell isn't my fault."

Camelia stormed out of the library, slamming the door on her way out. Cypress took a deep breath and unclenched his fists. Kieran was going to marry Ambra if it killed him.

. . .

Kieran ambled lazily down the animated strip. There was night club after night club in downtown San Francisco, all packed with sweaty people jumping wildly to music. Usually, Kieran would meet up with a couple of his friends and they'd go clubbing together; not in human clubs of course. They would go to clubs with a black Dahlia spray painted on the door, the symbol for all lamia.

Tonight though, Kieran wasn't feeling well. He wasn't sick; vampires can't catch human diseases. He felt hollow and strangely unhappy. A little bored even. He shook his head, disgusted with his moping, and continued to stroll carelessly down the strip. The streets were crowded with people trying to buy their way into the hottest clubs, either by their looks or by displaying wealth. Kieran watched with bland amusement as a tall teenage girl with soft brown hair and curvy hips was refused entry to a night club with lots of flashing lights and blaring techno music. The hairy and well muscled body guard didn't even look at her twice. She gave him a dirty look as he blocked her way, then sighed and turned on her heel to leave.

She caught Kieran staring at her and a small, coy smile began to play at the corner of her lips. She slowly sauntered up to him, swaying her hips in an alluring fashion. Kieran was used to getting this sort of reaction from girls, human and vampire alike. He knew what she was seeing; a tall teenage boy of about seventeen, with a lean, well muscled body, mussed blonde hair and clear, sensual green eyes.

"Well, hello there," she said huskily, her eyes raking his body. "Are you lost?"

Kieran looked at the girl. She wasn't bad looking, even if she was human. She had long twisting chestnut locks, smoky blue eyes, and full pouty lips. It was lucky for her that Kieran had just fed.

"No, I think I'm alright." He flashed a devastating smile and had the enjoyment of watching her stumble a little.

"Sure," she looked dazzled, like she had looked at a bright light just a little bit too long. "I mean, are you sure?"

"Yeah," Kieran tossed over his shoulder, having to have already started to walk away.

He continued walking down the gum covered sidewalks, his thoughts roaming once again. Why did he feel so unhappy? He had practically everything a vampire could want; ample hunting grounds, lots of power, a good family, and lots of friends. Then why did he feel so incomplete? It was like a constant ache inside of him and it was driving him insane.

"Kieran!" Kieran looked up and saw Quinn and Ash waving at him from across the street. "Hey, c'mon down to the club with us?"

Kieran shrugged and said. "Not really in the mood."

Ash and Quinn exchanged a glance. "You're never in the mood anymore," Ash complained.

Kieran glowered at them. "Just go away!"

Ash's eyes shifted to a menacing ice blue. "No!" He stepped forward, followed by Quinn.

"I'm tired of your sulking. You need a good party," Quinn insisted.

Kieran raised his eyebrows sardonically. "I'm going home!"

"Fine!" Ash yelled from behind him. "We'll go without you! We'll tell you tomorrow about all the hot girls we met and you're going to wish you were there!"

Kieran rolled his eyes and continued on his way home.

**This is my first fanfic although I've written a lot of stuff on my own before. So ya R&R please….and thanks to whoever added me to their favorites already! Means a lot **


	3. Plastic

**Disclaimer: still don't own night world :(**

"Lili!" Lilianna slammed her locker shut and spun around to face a group of giggling girls. _Freshman_.

"Yeah?" she snapped.

The girls immediately quieted and nervously shifted their weight from foot to foot. After a moment of awkward silence, in which Lilianna just stared questioningly at them, a brunette on the end cleared her throat. She seemed to be the leader of their little group. She shoved two short blondes out of her way and approached Lilianna. "Hi, I'm Selena. I don't know if you remember me from cheerleading tryouts?"

Lilianna did, but didn't feel particularly inclined to acknowledge it. Selena was just another freshman trying to use to her weasel their way into the popular crowd.

"Well, I made varsity," the girl said casually, as if it didn't matter. It did though. It was rather impressive to make varsity cheer as a freshman. In fact, only one other girl had managed to do this. Lilianna herself.

"Cool," Lilianna didn't let herself sound too interested, but her voice lost some of its edge.

"Yeah," the girl smiled proudly. "Anyways, I was wondering if maybe you wanted to go clubbing with us this Friday?" She flipped her pin straight brown hair over her shoulder and flashed another friendly smile.

Lilianna eyed Selena's tittering posse distastefully. They looked like a bunch of wannabees. They all had straightened hair, heavy makeup, and tight Hollister tee shirts. It was clear they all wished they were Selena.

"I don't know," Lilianna sighed. She didn't want this freshman to get too excited at hanging out with a junior. "My friends were also planning on going clubbing."

"We could go together!" Her face lit up and her brown eyes glinted hopefully.

Lilianna shrugged. "What club were you thinking of?"

"There's this place called Dahlia's Crypt that my friends found last week. It's super cool and way selective. However, I think we could get in," she tinkled a laugh at the prospect of two popular cheerleaders being denied entrance at a night club.

"Yeah, I could ask my friends," Lilianna smiled charmingly. "I guess we'll meet you there."

Selena kept smiling but her eyes clouded a bit as she realized that she wasn't actually going _with_ Lilianna.

Lilianna smirked quietly to herself. Freshmen were so funny sometimes. Lilianna was still reveling over the encounter with Selena that she didn't watch where she was walking.

Suddenly, she smacked right into something frizzy, freckly and downright unpleasant. Olivia Emerson. Lilianna's ex-best friend from middle school. They'd grown apart sometime in eighth grade, and let's just say the break up was messy.

"Oh, it's you," Olivia spat, sliding a pair of black, thick rimmed glasses up her nose.

Lilianna sighed heavily and muttered. "I really don't have time for this."

"Oh," Olivia's eyes narrowed dangerously. "Let me guess? You have to go hang out with the _cheerleaders_."

"Well, they are my friends," Lilianna rolled her eyes and tried to push past her. Olivia squared her shoulders and refused to let her by.

"No they're not. They're mean," Olivia huffed. "Maybe not to you, because you're popular. But to people like me who don't have many friends? They're complete bitches!"

Lilianna lost her temper and she could feel the heat rising to her cheeks. "Ever wonder why you don't have friends? Did you ever stop to think that maybe there was a _reason_? Maybe it's because you're an obnoxious, self centered_, _know it all!"

"Well, at least I'm _real_," Olivia sneered. "You and your cheerleader friends are all the same. It's like you're made out of plastic."

Lilianna didn't respond. She brushed by Olivia without so much as a backwards glance. Olivia was right. Lilianna was plastic. Everything she did was all part of an act. Lilianna doubted that anyone but Darci even knew the real Lilianna. Would they even want to? Lilianna didn't want to risk it. In her experience, being plastic was easier than being real.

. . .

Lilianna checked herself out in mirror one last time. She was wearing a slinky black dress with a lot of gold bangles and sparkly earrings. She spun around and smiled seductively at the mirror. She looked gorgeous, and she knew it. Her wide brown eyes were dressed up with smoky dark eyeliner, mascara and sparkly gray eye shadow. She had long curly hair the color of Grecian gold that spilled elegantly down the length of her back. She leaned in close to the mirror and admired her high cheek bones, tan skin and full sensual lips. As she did a stray thought drifted carelessly through her mind, and she could feel her stomach sink, _how could anything this beautiful be so invisible . . . _

She heard Darci's car pull into the driveway, and she quickly snapped out of her musings. She slipped on her black heeled shoes, grabbed her purse and bolted out the door.


	4. Rain

**Disclaimer: don't own the night world. I just get to play with it :D **

Kieran stared morosely out the window, wishing to be anywhere than where he was at the moment.

"Kieran!" Ambra scolded in an affronted tone, her wide hazel eyes glinting with barely restrained anger. "Did you hear _anything_ I just said?"

_You've been talking about your hair for the past twenty minutes_, Kieran hissed angrily to himself, _did you really expect me to listen?_

Kieran was about to roll his eyes and say something flippant in response, but his father, as if reading his disgust, flashed him a warning glance.

Kieran caught himself, and said in a honeyed voice. "I think you're hair looks beautiful no matter how you wear it."

Ambra giggled and continued to twirl a strand of her thick blonde hair around her left index finger. "Thanks. You're too kind." She batted her long eyelashes and smiled sweetly.

Kieran forced a quick smile. That was a close call. It was important that this girl approved of him. He would have to pay better attention from now on. Next time, he might not be able to save himself.

Ambra started prattling again, this time about her clothes. "There's a ball next weekend that I was hoping you would attend with me. I don't know what dress to wear, though."

"I'm sure you look beautiful in anything." Kieran wasn't lying; she was a very pretty girl. She had long straight pale blonde hair and dazzling hazel eyes that sparkled with constant excitement. It was too bad that she was so _boring_.

She earnestly began describing each of the dresses in detail to him and Kieran found himself drifting away again. _Did all this girl talk about was herself?_

The rain pounded down on the windows and Kieran watched distractedly as little droplets dripped down the glass. Kieran vaguely entertained the idea of running outside and letting the rain wash over him. He loved the feeling of the cold rain sliding over his skin, the smell of a brewing storm. . .

. . .

"Well, I think that went well," Kieran's mother announced in an unconvincingly cheery voice. "She seems like a wonderful girl."

"Hmm," Kieran mumbled dejectedly. He knew he didn't have a choice, but he still couldn't accept the fact that in a few weeks he would be married to that shallow ditz of a girl.

"She was very beautiful," Kieran's father reminded him, as if this was all a man could desire in a wife.

"Yeah," Kieran muttered in a clipped tone, staring determinedly out of the window. He watched in grim amusement as the car raced through a massive puddle and splattered water all over the car.

"You're going to marry her," his father stated in a hard voice. He had recognized the rebellious gleam in Kieran's eyes. He glared at him through the rearview mirror as if daring him to contradict him."It's settled."

Kieran glowered back and hissed, too soft for his parents to hear. "I'll marry her the day she says anything remotely intelligent. Which means _never_."


	5. moonlight

**Don't own night world… =(**

Lilianna was the first one to arrive at Dahlia's Crypt. She kept her distance, waiting impatiently for Darci and her friend Sophie, who Lilianna had never actually met, to arrive. The night was thick and still held some of the humidity from earlier in the day. A tiny silver sliver of the moon was visible in the smoky city sky, and the smell of beer and burgers wafted through the air from a nearby pub. Lilianna nervously glanced around, and met the appreciating gaze of a drunken, dirty looking man from across the street. Lilianna immediately dug her phone out of her pocket and speed dialed Darci's number. She heard Rihanna's new song from somewhere behind her and whipped around right into a startled Darci.

"Whoa, Lili," Darci said, steadying her best friend. "What's gotten into you?"

"Some creepy guy was staring at me," Lilianna muttered, feeling the blush creep up her cheeks.

Darci chuckled, taking in Lilianna's outfit. "Hate to break it to you but a lot of guys are going to be staring creepily at you tonight."

A tall and model-skinny girl with skin the color of coffee and deep forest green eyes approached Lilianna. Lilianna supposed this was Sophie.

"Hi, I'm Sophie," she gave a friendly smile and tucked a stray piece of hair behind her ear.

"Lilianna," Lilianna smiled back, and gestured towards the club. "Shall we?"

"Yes," Darci said, eyeing the club with an excited glimmer in her sea-glass blue eyes.

The club looked pretty exclusive. Lilianna watched apprehensively as a pretty red head in a sparkly dark blue dress was refused entrance.

"We'll get in," Darci tried to sound sure, but her voice wobbled a bit.

The three of them approached the body guard, trying to look confident and sexy.

As they approached they each exchanged a glance as they all realized the same thing. The body guard was a young boy, only about seventeen, with wide blue eyes and a shock of black hair.

Lilianna was the first to get over her surprise. She sauntered saucily up to the handsome bodyguard. "Hi," Lilianna said, with a warm smile playing around her full and glossy lips. "Can we get in?"

**Thanks for all the positive reviews! **


	6. Trouble

. . .

Ash watched amusedly as Flint turned down yet another group of deluded humans hoping to be accepted into the club. He couldn't stop a laugh from bubbling up as one human actually tried to push past Flint and force his way in. He had a dark brown hair and a thick mustache. Ash shook his head, a smirk playing at the corners of his fine mouth. The guy obviously thought he could take Flint. He chortled at the notion of a human attempting to beat up a vampire.

"What's so funny?" Quinn drawled, his frosty blue eyes hovered on the dance floor for a moment before turning to face Ash.

When Ash had finally smothered his laughter, he started to explain what had happened to Quinn. He chuckled quietly as Ash finished his story.

Ash swiftly glanced up to where the man had been standing, to point him out to Quinn, but realized that he had left. In his place was a young group of teenage girls trying to sweet talk their way into the club. _Humans._ Ash stole a closer look at the one in front, currently whispering something in Flint's ear.

She looked like a Greek goddess. She had smooth, tan skin, wide brown eyes, and exquisite hair. It seemed to reflect every beam of light that hit it. It was a beautiful light brown color, which was streaked with blonde highlights, making it appear as though threads of curling gold framed her beautiful, fine boned face.

She was dressed in a way that flaunted her beauty too. Long, tanned legs peeked out of a short black dress, and sparkly gold jewelry accentuated her golden hair. Ash wasn't surprised as Flint stepped aside to let them in.

Along with the golden goddess there were two other girls. They weren't bad looking, either. One had pale, porcelain skin, white blonde hair and light blue eyes that sparkled delightfully. The other girl was thin in the extreme and very tall. She had dark skin, short, choppy brown hair, and exotic forest green eyes. However, neither of them was as enticing as the girl with the long legs and alluring smile.

Ash caught Quinn's eye and nodded towards the girl. "Three words; tall, blonde and beautiful."

Quinn made some vague grunt, his mind seemingly elsewhere. Ash ignored his lack of interest and stood up slowly. He saw the girl twirl around, smiling and laughing with the other tall girl. Ash watched with wicked pleasure as her gaze flitted disinterestedly across the room and then locked onto him. He held her eyes and gave her a secretive smile. She broke the contact first, spinning around to face her friends. Her face was flushed and she was conversing in low tones with the short blonde girl.

Ash lazily ambled over to her, pushing his way through the sea of bodies bouncing to the music.

He approached the group of girls and gave a silent cheer when the girl with the blonde hair yanked her other friend onto the dance floor, leaving the girl with the golden hair alone._ Perfect._

He continued his way through the crowd, then as if by mistake, gently bumped shoulders with her.

"I'm sorry," Ash said, steadying her, his hands lingering slightly on her arms.

"Don't worry about it," the girl said in a breathless whisper. She nervously tucked a curl behind her ear.

He fixed his currently golden eyes on her and smiled charmingly. He stuck out a hand. "Ash."

She smiled back, her lips curving up sensually. "Lilianna."

"Want to dance?" Ash flashed a wicked grin. She nodded, slipping her tiny hand into his.


	7. Headache

**Disclaimer: Night world belongs to LJ Smith**

Lilianna awakened in the morning with a massive headache. She groaned miserably and rolled over, wanting nothing more than to fall back asleep. Too bad her mother wouldn't allow it.

"Lilianna! Hurry up!" She shouted up the stairs. "We have a lunch date remember?"

_Oh, right. Mother was taking her out to lunch with Mr. Barker_. Lilianna's headache suddenly got ten times worse.

"Lilianna, I'm serious! Get up!" Her mother barged into her room, with a pile of shirts tossed over her arm and curler in hand. "We're leaving in twenty minutes."

Lilianna gave her a disgusted look. "It's Mr. Barker."

"And what does that mean, exactly?" Her mother's hands flew to her hips and her nostrils flared dangerously.

Lilianna rolled her eyes, and then muttered. "I just don't see why he has to come."

Her mother chuckled like what Lilianna had said was greatly amusing. Lilianna didn't get the joke. "He's going to be your father soon. You may as well get to know him." Her mother explained, while twisting a long piece of dark brown hair around the curling iron.

Lilianna's eyes widened and she launched herself up off the bed. "What!"

Her mother grunted and continued to curl her hair. "That got you up. Now go get dressed."

Lilianna didn't budge. She clenched her hands into fists and hissed flatly, "You're not marrying him."

Her mother gave her a withering look. "Yeah, I am. Now, don't be difficult. I have enough to deal with without you going all rebellious on me."

Lilianna gave a quite unladylike snort, but dropped the subject. There was no use fighting any more at the moment; it was only going to get her into trouble. She sighed wearily and ordered sharply, "Get out of my room so I can change."

Lilianna's head was still throbbing painfully after her mother left. She stumbled to her mirror, her feet uncoordinated from her sleepiness. Her brain felt foggy and her limbs were sluggish and heavy, as if they were made out of lead. _What had happened last night?_

She couldn't remember. _Think,_ Lilianna told herself, taking a deep breath, _think_. _You must remember something._ _The club. Okay, so you went to a club. . . and there was a boy! A very handsome boy,_ Lilianna thought dizzily as his image swam before her eyes. _What then? _She didn't know. That was where she was stuck_. What had happened with that boy?_ Her blood froze suddenly, as a thought started to manifest itself in her head. The horribleness of it seared her brain and made her knees wobbly. _What if he had drugged her? What if. . ._

"No!" Lilianna choked out desperately, wishing that there was more conviction in her denial. A voice in the back of her head pleaded in a distressed tone, _you never drank anything, right? You know better than that! Right?_

Lilianna sank to the floor, tears flooding her eyes. He was hot. What if she had been stupid and let him buy her a drink? Lilianna's breaths started to come faster and faster and there was a burning sensation deep in her stomach.

_Okay! Calm down!_ She told herself firmly. _You don't know for sure if anything happened. You don't remember, right? Well, Darci might. Ask her. But until then, there's no need to jump to conclusions. . . _

It took great effort, but Lilianna eventually managed to calm herself down and pull herself up off the floor. She sniffled and meekly rubbed her nose. Her fingers trembled as she wiped the tears off her cheek. She numbly pulled on a blue and purple flowered skirt and a plain purple tee and finished getting ready.

She peered at her reflection in the mirror. She had seen better days; her skin was slightly clammy and her eyes were bloodshot from all the crying. She had faint, purple half moons under her brown eyes and her lips were a little chapped. _Ugghh_, Lilianna groaned miserably. She looked a wreck. She desperately smeared on some foundation, to restore her skin to its normal glowing glory and smoothed on some moisturizing pink lipstick. _Better,_ she allowed. She quickly pulled her hair up into a messy bun, and smiled at the mirror. She was about to turn and leave, when something caught her eye. It was a mark, on the left side of her neck. She leaned in close to the mirror and tilted her head for a better view. There were two, shiny, pink, dots on the side of her neck, like two spider bites. Lilianna rubbed her finger over them, testing their sensitivity. They were a little tender, like a healing cut.

"Lilianna!" Her mother's voice boomed through the house, and Lilianna jumped abruptly.

She quickly let her hair down, covering the strange marks on her neck. "Coming!" She darted out of the bathroom, turning off the lights, and sprinted into the car.

. . .

"So," Mr. Barker cleared his throat noisily. He was a large man, with bushy eyebrows and a strong jaw. He shifted a little in his chair and accidentally bumped Lilianna's leg under the table. She jerked her foot away and glared irritably at him.

"Sorry," he said quickly and his dull brown eyes dropped to the table to avoid her glower.

Lilianna's mother shot her a warning glance. "Anyways, what were you saying?"

"I was just saying how I was looking forward to going to the Celtics next weekend with you." Lilianna's mother smiled and tinkled a sickeningly sweet laugh that made Lilianna's stomach lurch. _What did her mother see in this guy?_

Mr. Barker smiled and asked her mother. "Does Lilianna like basketball?" _Oh, sure,_ Lilianna thought testily, sinking down into her chair, _ask my mother what I like, not me. Why would you ask me to speak for myself? I'm only seventeen. . . _

Lilianna didn't imagine that she could get any more furious. Then her mom opened her mouth.

"Oh, I don't think so," she said, taking a delicate sip of her lemon water. "Lilianna's not really that into sports. She prefers shopping."

Mr. Barker chuckled amiably. "Nothing wrong with that."

But there was. Lilianna loved sports, including basketball. She leaned back into her chair and gave her mom a disbelieving look. Her lips curled up disgustedly as she realized her mom couldn't even spare the time to glimpse at her or grasp her anger. She was intently focused on Mr. Barker.

"I'm assuming Lilianna doesn't play any sports, then? Is she in any clubs? I want to know all about my new daughter." He reached across the table to put his hand over hers, but Lilianna deftly moved her hand just out of reach. Her mother frowned slightly, the corners of her lips crinkling.

Lilianna glowered at her darkly and waited with barely constrained fury for her mom's response.

"Nah, Lilianna does student government, though. It's so sweet that you want to get to know her." Her mom's brown eyes shined innocently as the lie rolled off her tongue.

Lilianna's fist came down on the table with a bang, and tears stained her cheek. Mr. Barker glanced at her alarmingly. She shot her mom a look of raw hurt and outrage and stormed off for the restrooms before she could fully collapse in tears.

**Poor Lilianna :( anyways, thanks everyone for all the awesome reviews! I made this chapter longer just for you purple halo! Hope it satisfies =)**


	8. Escape

Kieran needed to escape. He couldn't take any more of it; his mother's suffocating attention, Ambra's whining, and his father's barely concealed threats. It was a simple matter of preserving what was left of his sanity. Kieran was sure that if he heard one more word uttered about the color of the invitations his head was going to explode. And if Ambra as much as tried to ask him if she looked good in her dress . . . well let's just say Kieran would lose it. Bad.

That was why he called Ash and Quinn and asked them to take him out somewhere. Anywhere. He didn't really care, as long as Ambra and his parents weren't present.

It was unusually cold for spring in California. The wind whipped around ominously, scattering litter across the street and knocking over the occasional trash can. The sky was the awkward shade between blue and gray, the two colors swirling together until the sky looked like something out of an Impressionist's painting.

Kieran continued to stroll aimlessly down the bleak, gray pavements, passing decaying building after decaying building. With every step he took the streets looked more and more deteriorated and impoverished. He was entering the dangerous part of town, but Kieran wasn't too concerned. Who could beat him up anyways? He was a talented fighter, even against other Night people.

He spotted the lean and catlike figure of Ash in the distance, and the shorter and more built figure of Quinn. He approached them with all the stealth of a skilled hunter.

"Hey guys!" Kieran shouted into their ear, and had the satisfaction of watching Ash jump and whip around into a fighting stance.

Ash quickly regained his composure though, his eyes melting from an alarming shade of yellow to a placate green. "Oh, it's just you. What took you so long?"

Normally Kieran would've laughed at Ash's jumpiness, but his mood was too black to find much humor in it now. "Sorry. My mom's been all over me ever since Ambra officially agreed to marry me."

Ash made a face, "marriage."

Kieran gave him an exasperated look. "Thanks, that makes me feel loads better."

"How bad can she be?" Quinn wondered, arching one eyebrow sardonically. His ice blue eyes remained flat and distant. If Kieran didn't know him better, he might've thought Quinn didn't care about his problems.

"All she talks about is herself! What's she wants to wear, how she wants her hair to look, whether she should wear red or pink lipstick!" Kieran exploded. "And if I have to hear her rant about how everything has to be_ perfect _one more time_,_ I think I'm going to kill myself!" His breathing became irregular, and he furiously swiped at the air to emphasize his distress.

Once Kieran had simmered down, Ash exchanged a wicked glance with Quinn. "I know just what you need."

"What's that?" Kieran sighed. He wasn't sure if he had the energy to deal with Ash's antics at the moment.

"Come clubbing with us tomorrow," Ash practically begged. "It'll be fun and it'll get you out of this funk you're in. Meet some girls while you still can." He raised his eyebrows and flashed a slow, lazy smile.

Kieran exhaled sharply in frustration, about to fight back, but then gave up. Ash was right; he needed to get out and be distracted for awhile. After all, once he was married to Ambra, he doubted that he'd be having much fun. "Sure."

"Yes!" Ash exclaimed. "Finally. I thought you had forgotten how to have a good time or something. Anyways, last time I was there, I met this girl and-"

"Do I really need to hear this?" Kieran cut in, not really wanting to know the details of Ash's sex life.

Ash flashed him a mischievous grin and his eyes glinted naughtily. "We didn't do anything. Much."

Kieran rolled his eyes disdainfully but Ash continued. "We kissed a little. Danced a lot. I drank her blood- it was one of the best I've tasted in awhile-"

"Human," Kieran shook his head in disapproval, his lips pressed into a thin line. "Well, I really hope you didn't do to her what you did to the last one."

"Nah," Ash gave a cocky grin, "she was much too young for that. I told you. We kissed, danced, and I drank some blood. Harmless fun." He gave a too innocent smile.

"I sure hope you're telling the truth," Kieran muttered darkly, and his clear green eyes blazed with something that seemed dangerously close to protectiveness.

Ash tilted his head questioningly. "Why do you care so much? She's just vermin. "

Kieran himself didn't know. All Kieran knew was that he suddenly wanted to punch Ash. Over some human girl he'd never met. Kieran tensely pinched the bridge of his nose and squashed down the impulse. This wedding was messing with his mind.


	9. Shivers

The bell rang and Lilianna dropped her pencil in relief. Her hand sorely ached from the intense in-class essay she had just written. She massaged it briefly, while the teacher went around collecting the essays.

She hurriedly packed up her things, messily shoving random papers and binders into her backpack trying to get them all to fit. Her bangles jingled noisily as she tried to stuff her papers farther into the backpack, attempting to make more room.

"Need some help?" Lilianna dropped her backpack and it landed with a resounding thud on the linoleum floor. She glanced up to discover the face of the deep, musical baritone. Aaron stood there, smiling genially with his brown hair gently mussed and his dark eyes gleaming. He picked up her backpack and handed it to her.

"It-just-won't fit," Lilianna huffed, giving her bag a frustrated shake. Aaron reached out with long, dark fingers and gently pried the bag from Lilianna's grip. He carefully took her binders out of her bag, and pulled out the crumpled papers. He dumped them on the desk, smoothing each one out before placing it back into the binder.

"There you go," Aaron smiled again. He handed her the backpack.

"Thanks," Lilianna gave him a small smile.

"No problem," Aaron nodded. His dark eyes twinkled as he looked at her.

Lilianna gave him another small smile, and then gestured tentatively towards the door. "Well, I should probably get going to gym."

"Okay, see you later," Lilianna could feel Aaron's mysterious, dark eyes follow her as she scampered off down the hall, sending sensational tingles down her spine.

. . .

Lilianna changed quickly, still feeling Aaron's eyes boring into her back. He couldn't still be watching her though; Aaron had chemistry fourth block and wasn't in Lilianna's gym class.

Darci was though, and Lilianna had been aching to talk with her all day about what had happened at the club last Friday. Lilianna caught up to Darci in line for the bathroom and pulled her aside.

"What's up?" Darci asked, after taking one peek at Lilianna's widened brown eyes and quivering lip.

Lilianna took a deep breath, trying to settle the fluttering in her stomach. "What happened last Friday? I can't remember anything, Darci. I know there was a boy. . . "Lilianna trailed off, her nerves wavering. She wasn't sure if she could say her theories out loud. She took another deep breath, and her resolve hardened. "I guess what I'm trying to ask is if you remember what happened between this boy and me?"

Even before Lilianna could finish Darci had started shaking her head. "I don't know. You danced with him and then you two went off somewhere while I was talking with Sophie. When you came back you were acting a little funny."

Lilianna's voice went flat and her eyes sparked dangerously. Her voice was icy cold when she spoke. "Funny how?"

"A little disoriented," Darci struggled to find the words to describe her behavior. "Even a little bit sleepy. I don't know how else to describe it. It was just weird."

"And you only thought to tell me all this now?" Lilianna hissed. "And what about when I went off with the strange boy to begin with, did you stop and think that maybe I might be trouble?"

"I tried looking for you," Darci protested. "I swear. I couldn't find you. And this is the first time I've seen you all morning!"

"I have a phone you know!" Lilianna exploded, taking out all her anger and hurt on the nearest target. Which unfortunately, happened to be Darci.

Darci shook her head and gave a grim chuckle that sent shivers down Lilianna's spine. "Oh, so now it's my fault you decide to off partying with strange boys and then can't remember any of it in the morning!"

Lilianna was prepared to bombard Darci mercilessly with piercing insults, but a sharp voice in the back of her head stopped her. This was her best friend. Her only friend. Did she really want to fight with her over something that really wasn't her fault?

Lilianna took a deep breath, the fiery words retreating to the back of her throat, and then dashed into Darci's arms, squeezing her into a fervent hug. Darci was startled, but hugged her back. "I'm sorry," Lilianna whispered, a tear silently running down her cheek. "I'm just so scared."

"I know," Darci patted her back consolingly, all the anger drained out of her. "And I really did try to look for you. I'm sorry I couldn't find you. I should've stopped you before things got to that point. I'm so sorry."

"It's not your fault," Lilianna sighed wearily. "But I do need to know what happened."

"Ash is the only one who can tell you that," Darci murmured, her sea blue eyes fierce and determined. "We'll go tonight and track him down. We'll make him tell you what happened."


	10. Soulmates

Kieran struggled to shake off his melancholy. He sat alone in a purple chaise chair, letting the rhythmic beat of the music wash over him, drowning in his own misery. He was supposed to be having fun, but he just couldn't get into the partying mood. All his thoughts were filled with dread over the wedding. He could see it all now; his mothers and fathers sickening joy at the union of "two people made for each other", Ambra's squealing and shallow excitement, and the guests milling around looking bored. His thoughts kept spiraling down into a vortex filled with despair and torture, and with every thought the vortex whirled around more and more violently. He needed to suck all the momentum out of the vortex before it destroyed any fun that still remained in his life.

He swaggered to his feet, plastered a lively grin on his face, and weaved through the crowds and onto the dance floor. The club was swarmed with so many people that Kieran began to feel borderline claustrophobic. It was impossible to maneuver without impinging on someone's personal space.

"Sorry," Kieran muttered, as he accidentally jostled a petite ginger witch. She glared at him with celestial green eyes and let loose a stream of angry mutterings.

That was when it happened. He took a step forward as the girl in front of him lost her balance and stumbled back into him. He caught her, and steadied her, his hands on her bare arms. It was the slightest of touches, but it sent lightening zapping through Kieran's arm, landing somewhere in the pit of his stomach. His heart hammered, and he felt a connection. He _knew _this girl. The conviction of this revelation took his breath away.

Then she jerked out of his reach, and the connection was severed. Kieran gazed amazedly into her glimmering brown eyes, which had lost their alarmed look and were now clouded with confusion. Her pupils were dilated, and her hands nervously smoothed down the side of her shimmering gold dress.

"Thanks." She mumbled so soft that without his vampiric hearing, Kieran might've missed it. She plunged back into the wild mass of people before Kieran had even caught his breath.

Kieran suddenly didn't feel much like dancing. He turned sharply and pushed his way back through the crowd to his purple chair and slumped back into it. _What the hell had just happened down there? _All he did was brush his hands against her shoulders, and then _bam!_ Connection. If he focused on that sensation enough, he could still feel it. There was a pulsating, silver cord, connecting the two of them. Kieran could feel it, even now, drawing him towards her.

He agitatedly ran his long fingers through his tousled blonde hair and tried to suppress the impulse to run over there and scoop her up in his arms. He was being ridiculous. She was vermin; he was from an upstanding lamia family. It would never work. Anyways, he was already taken. Not that he would _ever_ consider leaving Ambra for her. As annoying as Ambra was, she was still better than vermin. At least, that's what Kieran kept trying to convince himself.

For the rest of the night Kieran couldn't restrain from casually glancing up every once in awhile to see if he could find her. His eyes would skim the room, searching desperately for those deep, brown eyes, then drop disappointedly every time he failed to find them. He felt his heart sink as he realized he probably would never see this girl again.

Kieran despondently lugged his body off the chair and headed towards the door. It was time to accept defeat and go home, where he could continue to wallow in self pity alone. His eyes darted up automatically to take a final peek at joint. He knew he was being stupid but he couldn't stop himself from searching one last time. His eyes skimmed the dance floor and locked onto her fine boned face directly across the room.

She was slowly pushing her way through the crowd, her wide, long lashed, chocolate brown eyes alert and constantly moving as if searching for something. She moved with a sort of elegance and grace that belonged in a previous century. It was refreshing; most humans were awkward, rushed and clumsy. This girl was nothing like that; every move she made seemed poised and practiced. He watched closely as she turned to converse with her short, blonde friend. He admired the way her eyelashes softly brushed her cheek when she averted her eyes, casting long shadows along the sensuous curve of her cheekbone. The friend grabbed her hand and they started to make their way through the crowd.

Kieran knew she was just a human, but she intrigued him. He couldn't help it; the cord was tempting him, whispering hints of secrets and desires. . .

And when he had touched her. . . Kieran shivered just thinking about it. In that brief moment, he had glimpsed her soul. He couldn't discern much from such a fleeting touch, but he had seen enough. This girl was more despondent and lonely than anyone he had ever met. She felt invisible and neglected by her family and most of her peers. She never let anyone see her suffering; she masked her true feelings through cheerful smiles and pep rallies. She was trapped. And she was scared. _Over what?_ Kieran didn't know.

_And you're not gonna know_, Kieran muttered darkly to himself, _because you are getting out of here before any more crap can happen to screw up your life._

He stole one last glance at the girl, then slipped out into the cold night. He didn't even know her name and yet he knew more about her than anyone in the world.


	11. Secrets

The club was teeming with people, the thick masses of people making Lilianna feel compressed and slightly short of breath. _How was she supposed to spot Ash in this?_

Lilianna surveyed the crowds, trying to get a feel for where Ash may be hanging out. As she did, she began to sing along softly with the wailing chorus piercing her ears. The music was dark and filled with sick guitar riffs and had a steady, hard bass beat. It sunk deep into Lilianna's bones and it was as if the music was giving a voice to all the pain and hurt she had suffered this past week.

As Lilianna gazed out at the club, she realized it would be next to impossible to find Ash from where she was standing. The colorful, pulsating lights made everyone's movements seem clipped and disjointed, and Lilianna couldn't get a good look at anyone's face. Her head started to spin, and she grasped Darci's arm for support.

"We'll find him," Darci assured her. "I think maybe we should split up though. We'll cover more ground that way."

"Good idea," Lilianna agreed. "Text me if you find him."

"You check the dance floor and I'll check the bar." Darci took off, leaving Lilianna alone.

Lilianna nodded, a steely resolve settling in her usually warm brown eyes. She pushed her way past a group of giggling, raven haired beauties. They gave her a dirty look as her shoulder roughly bumped against one of them, sloshing her drink all along her front.

Lilianna was getting desperate. She had so far seen no sign of Ash. It was as if the big, lumbering cat had disappeared when she needed him most.

_He must be here somewhere_, she rationalized to herself. _He seemed like a regular._

She reached the end of the wooden dance floor and stopped short. _Well, he isn't over here anyways_, she thought wearily. _Maybe Darci had found him?_

She turned around and started to push her way back across the dance floor. The bodies gyrating to the music jostled her and she lost her balance. She stumbled backwards, expecting to end up sprawled on the floor. She didn't. Something caught her.

She turned slowly to face her savior. She noticed he was wearing ripped jeans and an old faded band tee shirt. She skimmed her gaze up to his face, wanting to thank him and move on to continue her search for Ash.

Then something happened as she looked into those clear, sensual green eyes. Fiery tingles shot through her arms where he touched her, melting her insides in a smoldering fire and burning away all thoughts of Ash. Lilianna vaguely registered that she was no longer in the club. Her body was, but her soul had dissolved into another realm. It was only the two of them and it was as if the whole world had disappeared under their feet. She could feel a force sucking her mind and soul into his, meshing them together, coaxing both of them to reveal all their secrets. She could feel this boy's soul vibrating against her own. She sensed his despair and angst. There was electricity humming through her body and they were swathed in smoky, silver fog. Lilianna had never felt more alive.

She had also never felt more terrified or exposed. She had shadows and dark crevices buried deep inside her, secrets that she had worked hard to keep hidden. This boy was penetrating her soul. He had leaped head first into it, plunging into her blackest fears and memories. His soul engulfed her and she could sense his compassion and understanding. _You're not invisible_, she heard him whisper.

Lilianna tried to push him out. Who did he think he was, barging in and prying open all of her secrets and rifling through them as if they belonged to him? She yanked her arms out of his grasp, and the world reappeared. Lilianna shook her head, clearing out the remainder of the silver fog, and melted back into the crowd before he could say anything.

She pushed her way through the masses of people, while simultaneously checking her phone for texts from Darci. _Nothing._

Lilianna felt her throat choke up and helpless tears streamed down her flushed cheeks. _Where was he?_

Her tears blurred her vision as she glanced distractedly at the bar, wishing more than anything that she had never stepped into this club last Friday.

Suddenly her eyes cleared, and her sniffling stopped. _Ash._ He was lounging in a stool at the bar with a sly grin on his face. He smoothly handed a drink to a pretty red head wearing a short dark blue dress and fishnets. Her lips turned up in a coy smile as she murmured something that made Ash laugh warmly.

Lilianna approached the couple, trying to inject a sense of authority and confidence in her stride as she advanced upon them. She stopped abruptly in front of them. Ash ignored her presence, his hands tracing little circles on the red head's arm. Lilianna cleared her throat noisily and tapped the table. Ash glanced up at her, his brown eyes clearly annoyed at having his date interrupted.

"Hello there," he said, his voice seemingly calm and cool. Lilianna could tell he wasn't pleased to see her, though.

She got straight to the point. "What happened last Friday? I can't remember anything."

"Did someone have a little too much to drink?" Ash joked lightly. The red head chortled and tried to turn Ash's head back to face her.

"I don't drink," Lilianna said flatly, demanding that his attention stay on her. "Especially not with strange boys I meet in clubs."

"Well, what do you think happened?" Ash taunted her, leaning forward until his glimmering eyes were only in inch away. Lilianna blinked and realized that she had been wrong about their color. They were actually a stormy green.

She narrowed her eyes, "I remember dancing. Then nothing."

"That's pretty much all that happened." Ash dismissed, turning back to the red head with an apologetic look on his face that said_, I'm sorry this girl won't leave us alone._

Lilianna fumed. _So he just thought he could dismiss her that easy, did he? Well he didn't know who he was dealing with!_

"Excuse me!" She demanded, forcing him to turn back around and face her. "Can I talk to you in private?"

Ash raised his eyebrows and grimaced. "Why?"

"You know why," she accused, prodding him aggressively in the chest. "I need answers."

"I always hate this part," he muttered under his breath, but obliged to her request. He excused himself from the pretty red head with a promise of returning swiftly.

"What's up?" He casually grabbed a drink from a passing server's tray and drained it. It was some odd smelling red stuff. It looked disgusting.

"Don't you 'what's up' me!" Lilianna snapped. "Tell me right now what happened between us! I need to know. . did we . . . I mean . . . you know. . ." she trailed off, her anger fading into panic and desperateness.

"Sex?" Ash said bluntly. Lilianna nodded weakly.

"No," Ash said. "The most we did was kiss."

"Really?" Lilianna hoped he wasn't so cruel as to lie about it. "You're telling the truth?"

Ash, for the first time since he met her, lost his cocky grin. "Yes. You're much too young anyways."

"I look about as old as you are," Lilianna said uncertainly.

"It's a little different for me," Ash said vaguely.

"How do I know I can trust you?"

"Well, first of all, you can't," Ash corrected. "It's very rare I don't lie. But I like you Lilianna, and I assure you that nothing happened last Friday."

Lilianna measured him up. He didn't avert his gaze, but held her eyes. "I believe you," she said softly.

He turned to go, but Lilianna stopped him by gently tugging on his hand. He swiveled around and cocked an eyebrow. "What?"

"Thank you," Lilianna mouthed, and she saw him flash a small smile before he let go of her hand and returned to the bar.

It was only later, after Lilianna was lying in her bed, that she realized she had forgotten to ask Ash about the strange marks on her neck. She ran her finger over them tentatively. They had all but disappeared now; all that remained was a tiny bump. She shrugged and rolled over, pulling her covers up to her chin. They were probably nothing anyway.


	12. Brilliance

**Disclaimer: still don't own night world. That belongs to LJ smith**

Kieran couldn't get her image out of his head; everywhere he looked he saw that glowing golden goddess staring back at him. Then he would blink, and her image would blur and swirl into an everyday object; a dresser with gold fringe, the gold curtains, or just an ordinary girl who happened to have similar hair.

It was driving him crazy. She was always there, in his mind, roaming around and knocking things over. He could feel her even now; the smoky, thin, silver cord was still pulsating between them, feeding him her thoughts and desires. He could feel her emotions coursing through him sporadically, and the intensity of some of them made his heart jump. Her fury sent white lights dancing in front of his eyes. Her sadness made him want to scream in agony. Whenever she was happy, even for just a second, it was the highlight of Kieran's day. He found himself being swept away in the sensations of her emotions, and being sucked further and further into her soul. She had such a beautiful, entrancing soul. Kieran imagined he could bathe in the emotions and thoughts of such a brilliant soul forever and still not know all of its secrets.

He could hear her thoughts too. They were diluted, but he still caught wisps of what she was thinking or what she was doing. She felt invisible, and most of the time her laughs and smiles were insincere and plastic. She was always acting to prevent anyone from seeing the real her. Not even her mother knew anything about her. This girl longed for someone to listen. _Really_ listen, and hear what she was saying behind the broken smiles and abrupt silences. She wanted someone to look at the cracks that surrounded her soul, and heat them up until they trembled and broke apart, revealing the brilliant golden flame underneath.

Kieran wanted to be that person. He could destroy the hard casing surrounding her soul; the ugly, thick and foggy gloom that surrounded her like an omnipresent cold blanket.

Kieran would do anything to free her from misery's suffocating grip.

Kieran loved her; loved her so much it was like a constant pain in his chest. All he wanted was to have her next to him, to feel her in his arms. He wanted to protect her from the cruelty of the world. He wanted to be the one to make her smile, to see those wonderfully warm brown eyes shine with laughter. He wanted to make her soul sing.

All it took was one touch to feel these intense emotions surge through his soul. Kieran knew it was irrational; after all, how could you love someone so deeply you barely had spoken a word to? It was impossible.

_Unless. . ._ The answer popped into his head and he smiled grimly. _The Soulmate principle_. It was so obvious, and yet Kieran wished with all his heart there were some other explanation. Kieran had heard rumors that it was reviving, particularly in the Redfern family. But he never thought it would happen to _him_. He felt like he had been smacked over the head with a brick. His whole world was collapsing around him, all because of one girl. A girl, whose name still remained a mystery.

Kieran sighed. His lungs felt like they were being squeezed tight and Kieran wondered how he could still breathe. That girl was his soulmate. He felt the truth in this statement, as if the cord was humming in agreement.

But that didn't change anything. He was still stuck in an arranged marriage, and she was still human. He couldn't leave Ambra for a human. _If anyone found out. . ._ Kieran wouldn't be the only one to suffer. There would be a war, and the girl would die. He felt his heart give an involuntarily twitch and his stomach plummeted at the thought. He couldn't allow that.

He couldn't allow anything to happen to her.

Kieran impulsively called out for the butler. He didn't have the time to personally look over her; his father had been keeping an annoyingly close watch on him ever since the wedding was announced. He would surely notice if Kieran went missing for several periods of time with no valid explanation.

Kieran had no doubt in his mind that his father would kill the girl if he found out about her. That wasn't an option; Kieran couldn't afford to do anything that might jeopardize the girl's safety. Therefore; he needed an accomplice to do the dirty work for him.

Kieran hesitated slightly, a sudden misgiving sending shivers down his spine. If his parents found out he was sending their butler to follow a human, they would go ballistic. They might even kill him.

_Oh well_, Kieran shrugged. He'd just have to make sure they didn't find out.

"Yes, sir?" Cole popped his head into the library and looked at Kieran with steady brown eyes.

"Cole," Kieran began, daring to take a leap of trust in his desperation. Cole had always seemed more lenient towards humans than other Night People and he needed someone on his side. He needed to know she was protected. "Can you keep a secret?"


	13. Nightmare

**Disclaimer: Anything you recognize isn't mine. **

**I just want to say thanks for all the awesome reviews. And to Bono Tempest (who I can't PM): Thanks a lot! It means so much that an official author likes my story. Thanks for your review and I hope there's more to come :)**

**Also, I just want to let you all know that I've recently acquired a Beta: TheBrightestNight. She will be editing from this chapter on. Just wanted to thank her :) **

That night Lilianna dreamed of the mysterious boy from the club. They were standing together in an unrecognizable, barren land, swathed in mystical purple fog and surrounded by wreckage. Lilianna hesitantly kicked at a piece of smoldering brick, and realized that the wreckage was houses. It seemed as if a whole city had been burned to the ground. _Or maybe blown up_. Lilianna wasn't sure which sounded more plausible.

The dirt was coal black and the surface was strewn with corpses among the debris. The bodies were indistinguishable. Their faces were burned off, and all that remained in their place were blackened crisps of flesh and bone. Lilianna felt horror gnaw at her stomach, and a wave of nausea swept over her.

The ground was smoking and trembling slightly, like a volcano about to explode. _And it smelled awful_. At first, Lilianna assumed it was the scent of rotting flesh that tainted the air. Then the fog drifted passed her nose, making her gag, and she knew the true source of the scent. Lilianna looked at the ground bewilderedly. _It_ was leaking the sickening green fog, the color of pure envy, which smelled like decaying corpses.

Wild shrieks full of raw pain and misery punctured the deadly silence that surrounded them, and drove away all thoughts of the acrid scent from Lilianna's mind.

She felt as if her blood was on fire. She never before imagined the images one scream could conjure up. Lilianna stumbled back into the boy as macabre visions of bodies, contorted in torture, assaulted her eyes. He caught and steadied her, his hands gentle, yet firm, at the same time. He turned her around so she faced him. He didn't say anything, just stared intensely at her face for a moment. It was like he was trying to ingrain her features in his memory, so he would have it forever. Lilianna shivered as a sense of foreboding slithered down her spine.

Then the screams revived, and Lilianna felt her heart squeeze with terror.

She didn't want to know what was being done to these people;she didn't think she could handle it. All she knew was that they were beyond help. No one could survive the type of agony those screams entailed.

The boy's head snapped up, no longer focused on her face. Lilianna watched as his eyes flew open in fear and desperation. His body reacted to some pressing threat that Lilianna had not yet detected. He dove, tackling Lilianna to the ground. He pinned her to the landscape, covering the length of her body with his, and she felt his weight settle on her. Their faces were inches away from each other and his breath mingled with hers. She gazed back at him alarmingly, but he didn't explain his behavior.

His eyes were transparent with grief and guilt.

The world vibrated beneath them, and Lilianna felt her steady breaths turn to heaving gasps as the ground became unbearably hot. The boy looked back at her apologetically, his fine lips mouthing something that Lilianna couldn't understand. Then the world erupted into a ball of fire and Lilianna's scream pierced the air.

. . .

Lilianna woke with a start as the annoying bleep of her alarm penetrated her consciousness. Her forehead was sticky with cold sweat, and her heart was attempting to jump out of her chest. Her wild, distressed brown eyes scanned her room for any signs of danger. She took in the scattered books at the foot of her bed and the pile of crumpled clothes in the corner. There was no sign of the barren wasteland from her nightmare. She was safe.

She sunk back onto her bed, her breath slowing and her muscles unclenching.

She sighed and tossed the covers off of her. She flung the window openand gulped several deep breaths of fresh air to settle to her nerves. She wearily noted the cloudy, gray sky and wet morning grass. The air felt thick as it blew in through her window, swirling the papers lying at the base of her bed.

She quickly got ready, throwing on a cute, yellow tee shirt and some jeans**. **Frazzled, alarmed eyes looked back at her as she brushed her hair in front of the mirror. _It was just a dream,_ a consoling voice whispered from the back of her head,_ no need to get so worked up about it._

The house was strangely quiet; her mother had left for work early and her siblings were still sound asleep. Lilianna found that for once she didn't have a headache. Her thoughts weren't struggling to scream over various loud noises puncturing her eardrums. She let the silence engulf her, and sighed as her head sang with happiness. She had forgotten how delightful it felt to be surrounded in silence, to hear nothing but the hum of her own thoughts. She hesitated briefly, savoring the moment, and then dashed out the door.

. . .

Lilianna dreaded going to Bio each morning. She had always thought math was her least favorite class . . . then she had been introduced to cellular respiration.

She sighed as she pulled her chair out from under the table and dumped her book and binder onto the desk. She glanced up at the board, Ms. Rajan's curly cursive clearly spelled out today's topic: The Calvin Cycle. This was going to be a _long_ class.

Ms. Rajan droned on and on in front of the class, lecturing them off of some PowerPoint that Lilianna found was too small to even read. She her teacher's thick Indian accent wash over her, the words not really sticking in her brain. She hardly had any incentive to listen. There were numerous things more pressing to think about than biology at the moment. _Like that boy…. _

His beautiful, clear green eyes had haunted her dreams ever since she had met him last Friday. In her darkest moments, when she was convinced she was all alone, she would hear his voice echoing in her mind.

_You're not invisible_.

Oh, how Lilianna wanted to believe the words he had whispered to her.

Lilianna leaned back in her chair, remembering when he had caught her. Her arms tingled faintly where his fingers had brushed her skin, and she suddenly felt lightheaded. She could still sense him; his presence, his soul, and his thoughts. She felt as if he sensed her too. She could hear his response to her emotions. If she focused really hard, she could almost read his thoughts. But that was impossible… two souls couldn't be connected like that. Soulmates didn't exist.

"Lilianna," Aaron tapped her gently on the shoulder and she snapped out of her reverie. "The bell rang."

"Oh," Lilianna looked around, embarrassed. The rest of the class had already left, and Ms. Rajan was busily packing up. "Sorry. I didn't get a lot of sleep last night."

"It's okay," Aaron said, biting back a laugh. When he realized Lilianna didn't look amused, his face hardened into an unfathomable expression. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah," Lilianna plastered one of her famous smiles on her face and nodded. "I'm fine. Spacey, but fine."

Aaron smiled, good-naturedly, and nodded, but it didn't touch his eyes.

He studied her intensely for a moment, like he desperately wanted to tell her something.

Lilianna hesitated, but his mouth remained shut. He gazed at her expectantly. When she didn't say anything, he turned to leave. "I guess I'll get going then. Don't want to be late to Ms. Peterson's class."

Ms. Peterson was one of the strictest teachers in the building. Lilianna nodded sympathetically and murmured, "See you in English."

As Aaron turned to go, Lilianna started thinking about the mystery boy again. He had uncovered all of her secrets without even trying. She didn't even know his name, and yet he continued to haunt her dreams. When she thought about him, her stomach fluttered and her throat felt oddly constricted. Anyone who had such a grip on her was clearly trouble. She needed to forget him before he consumed all rational thought.

Aaron was likable and clearly admiring. _So why not give him a chance?_ a voice inside her whispered.

"Aaron, wait!" Lilianna blurted out.

He turned around—he was half-way through the door. His dark eyes looked at her eagerly, "What's up?"

"Do you want to go out Friday?" Lilianna asked quickly, before she could change her mind. A grin broke across her face as he nodded; though it felt forced and half-hearted.

He approached Lilianna with a small smile playing at the corner of his full lips and courteously took her books in his arms. She felt her stomach sink with guilt as her thoughts automatically turned to a certain green-eyed someone. _It's better this way_, Lilianna convinced herself, as she slipped her tiny hand into Aaron's calloused one. _Really._


	14. Frustration

**Sorry for the long wait. Crazy week :P anyways, just want to thank my beta: TheBrightestNight for her awesome help:) **

**Disclaimer: Don't own Night world**

"Okay, let's have Ambra walk the aisle one more time," Camilla commanded from her seat on the massive, smooth rock in the shade. She was sprawled out carelessly on the length of it, watching Ambra parade down the aisle for the umpteenth time.

Kieran felt a surge of impatience wash through him and he agitatedly ran his fingers through his hair_. This whole thing is stupid and pointless. It's just getting to the alter. It's really not that difficult. _The frustration was building up and festering like a nasty wound inside of him. Eventually, he was going to need to release his vexation, and the longer he waited the more violent the eruption was bound to be.

He glared angrily at Ambra's parents, chatting jovially with his father across the yard, the three of them chuckling like they were old friends. _Ridiculous. . ._

Kieran heaved an irritated sigh and rolled his eyes. His father's admonishing eyes pierced him from across the yard and Kieran struggled to force his lips into a convincing smile. His cheeks felt unbearably heavy from all the tension in his face and it was difficult not to grimace. He felt his father's gaze flit back to Jasper and Kieran wiped the painful grin off his face.

Kieran hadn't realized that a dress rehearsal could take _five hours_. And it was still going. He felt like whacking his head repeatedly with a board of wood. It would be less painful than suffering through another couple of hours with Ambra.

Kieran's and Ambra's parents had held a long discussion over where to host the wedding. After so many arguments that Kieran assumed another blood feud had begun, they finally settled on Kieran's backyard. The yard was surrounded by rolling hills covered in various, blossoming flowers of all different colors. There were a few sparse trees sprinkled across the landscape, dappling the lawn with a healthy amount of shade. The flowers were absolutely breath taking, like looking out at a sea of colors.

They were standing in the one flat area of the backyard, the peak of one of the massive hills, right behind the house.

A large willow tree hovered over the alter. Ambra thought it was romantic the way they appeared to be enclosed in the thin tendrils of soft, green leaves as they stood by the alter. Kieran thought of it as a handy place to quickly grab a stick of wood to fend off Ambra's advances. At least they were both satisfied.

Although they had an alter, they weren't actually being married by a priest. Vampires aren't very religious. They were to be wed by the most powerful vampire in the Night World. Hunter Redfern.

He stood by the alter, his red hair a gleaming torch, and his smile predatory and cruel. _Hunter Redfern was a true Night person_, Kieran thought wryly.

He was also an expert socializer. He had everyone there, except for Kieran it seemed, completely enthralled with his stories and light banter. The parents and Ambra were chortling appreciatively as Hunter animatedly told them of an encounter he had last week with a renegade werewolf.

Kieran didn't find him funny.

Hunter also kept joking about how this wedding would be a good occasion for a blood feast. Everyone in the Night world was aware that blood feasts were illegal. Hunter was a stickler for the law, so Kieran didn't think there were any hidden desires behind his jokes, but they still made Kieran uneasy. They were yet another constant reminder that Lilianna wasn't safe in his world. That she could easily be killed just for being his soulmate.

Kieran's apprehensive thoughts were interrupted by Jasper's request that Ambra walk down the aisle again. Ambra had glided down the aisle at least five hundred times already, and yet the parents still weren't satisfied.

Ambra wasn't either. She kept complaining that her walk looked too predatory for a wedding. Kieran wanted, vehemently, to scream at her, _you're a Night person! Your walk _should_ be predatory, you idiot! _But of course, he didn't. He did have some self control left.

Kieran kept, distractedly, looking for Cole, who had yet to appear. He had been gone for almost the entire day and Kieran was itching to know what he had found.

For the first time in his life, Kieran felt fidgety. He needed to _move_. He could feel the energy coiled up in his muscles. Electricity crackled through him, and he felt as if he was about to explode. His stomach churned like he had just drunken some bad blood and he saw light dancing at the corners of his vision. His head spun with so many questions it was a wonder he hadn't fainted yet. What had Cole found? Was she in trouble? Would he even bother to save her, if she were in trouble? Kieran wasn't sure. This insecurityset on a whole new set of panic attacks and Kieran was barely able to suppress the urge to run away and try to find her himself.

"Ambra, do you think that maybe we should decorate the benches with roses?" Camilla looked up at Ambra expectedly, her eyes glittering with excitement.

"Red roses," Ambra tinkled, clearly enjoying the topic. She nudged Kieran out of his reverie and he started. "What do you think Kieran?"

"Hmmm? Red roses sound fine," he responded absentmindedly, making Ambra's lips turn down disappointedly. He quickly flashed a charming smile, just a little too late.

At his smile, she immediately brightened and hopped excitedly from foot to foot, continuing the flower discussion with Camilla. However, Kieran noticed her eyes weren't as bright as they were before. He felt a stab of guilt penetrate his heart, but he swiftly shook it off as his thoughts returned to Lilianna.

Kieran peered at the street leading up to the mansion. He could just see it through the trees in his backyard. His eyes swept the road one more time, frantic to see if Cole had arrived yet. _He should be here any minute__ . . .dammit what was taking so long?_Did Cole not realize he was driving Kieran more and more insane with each minute that went by without him appearing? _Of course he doesn't_, Kieran reminded himself. _He doesn't know what the girl means to you. __Just that you wanted her to be watched._

"What do you keep looking at?" Ambra demanded, annoyance seeping into her honeyed tone and turning it sour. Her forehead was wrinkled and her finger twitched irritably. _Maybe she's not as mild tempered as she appears,_ Kieran couldn't help suspecting.

Kieran's mother and father looked up at him curiously. He silently thanked his ability to lie smoothly at whim. It came in handy at times like these.

"Nothing," Kieran bluffed, being careful to appear nonchalant and casual. Like his drifting attention was due to weariness and boredom, nothing else. Ambra and glared at him darkly for a moment but didn't say anything. Hunter leaned in and whispered something to Jasper. The two of them exchanged a look, but they didn't share their thoughts with the others.

His parents shrugged and dropped the matter, believing his deceit without another thought. His parents were usually more observant; Kieran got lucky they were too distracted to analyze his behavior right now or to tune in to everyone else's reactions. He couldn't risk being caught again, though. He would have to be more careful in his searching glances from now on.

"Okay, let's try it one more time!" Kieran's mother requested cheerfully. Kieran sighed but didn't complain. At least they had all forgotten his behavior.

. . .

It wasn't until later that night that Cole appeared with news of the girl. He slipped into the study while Kieran was busy writing some wedding invitations.

His head shot up at the sound of the door creaking open, the wedding invitations forgotten. "Did you find her?" Kieran asked. He nervously swallowed and shifted his weight in his chair, causing it to let out a long squeak. Kieran winced, hoping his parents wouldn't barge in asking what was going on.

"Yeah, I found her." Cole said wearily, standing awkwardly in front of Kieran. He twisted the tiny ring on his pinky finger nervously, but didn't say anything else.

"Well?" Kieran pressed impatiently. "Did you find out anything? Her name at least?"

"Lilianna," he said blankly. Then his eyebrows arched with sudden interest. "She's pretty for a human."

Kieran ignored the last comment, his focus intently latched on the name. He had finally attained it, after all the days of speculating about what it could be.

"Lilianna," Kieran repeated, tasting the name on his tongue. It was an exquisite and elegant name. It suited her well. "What else did you find out?"Kieran demanded, while simultaneously gesturing towards the chair to let him know he could sit down.

Cole shrugged out of his coat and draped it over the back of his chair before plopping down into it. "Not much. She's a pretty average human girl."

Kieran's hand twitched dangerously and he barely repressed the impulse to smack him. She most certainly was _not _average. Lilianna was positively the most extraordinary woman he had ever met. Cole obviously hadn't looked very hard.

"Anything else?" Kieran's tone was pleading and conveyed the feeling: _I care way too much_. Cole smirked slightly at Kieran's persistence. Kieran took a deep breath and recomposed his expression into one of utter boredom and nonchalance. He needed to calm down before Cole deduced what was really going on here. "I just need some information. She's been showing up at the club a lot. I want to make sure she doesn't know too much."

Cole gave him a disbelieving look, his face looking oddly animated compared to his usual blank expression. "Yeah, _right_. Look, I don't want to know why you're interested in this human girl when you're supposed to be engaged to a certain lamia vampire. Whatever it is, I'm not getting in the middle of it. You're supposed to be ending a Blood Feud. You could cause a war! All because you went and fell in love with a _human_."

Kieran started spluttering some unintelligible denial at this accusation, but Cole cut him off before he could finish.

"_However_, I do feel very overworked, and your family keeps me _so_ busy. I hardly get to see my family or friends anymore. So maybe we can work out an agreement that satisfies both of our needs?" Cole raised his eyebrows, and his dark eyes were cold and calculating. Apparently, he had been giving this some thought.

Kieran shook his head slightly, perplexed. Cole was acting strange. He was usually so calm and emotionless. Kieran would have never guessed that he had this side to him.

"You want time off in exchange for information," Kieran hissed flatly. Despite Kieran's harsh tone, Cole flashed a smug smile. He already knew Kieran's answer. Kieran groaned mentally, this was going to take _major_ explaining to his parents. _Oh, well_. _She's all that matters now. _"Sure. Take tomorrow off. Now tell me what you found."

"Well, I don't know if she's as interested in you as you are in her," Cole disclosed, leaning forward in his chair towards Kieran. "She's seeing another guy. I think his name's Aaron."

"What?" Kieran nearly tumbled out of his chair. He regained his composure fast though. "Tell me about him. What did they do?" he demanded**.**

"Walked around downtown. Got ice cream. Laughed."Cole listed, studying Kieran closely for his reaction.

"Okay," Kieran digested this. "What about _him_? What's he like?"

"Quiet kid." Cole revealed, with a taunting glint in the depths of his dark eyes.

"That's it?" Kieran asked coldly. _Really?_

Cole shrugged, seemingly uninterested. "I don't know if any of this matters, but he seemed a little off for a human. He acted more like a Night person. He's got that predatory look in his eye, you know?"

Kieran once again, nearly fell out of his chair. Once he had regained his balance, he snarled angrily, "He might be a Night person? Didn't you think that was important?"

Cole gave another dispassionate shrug. However, his eyes had a sly glint in them that made Kieran's temper flare dangerously. He felt murderously angry, and spots flashed in front of his eyes.

He took a deep breath and calmed down. He was determined not to give Cole the satisfaction of letting him know he got to him.

"Okay, good job. Keep watching her, and let me know if she's seeing this Aaron kid again." Kieran forced the words out, struggling to keep his tone friendly.

"She's seeing him next week. They're going downtown for a movie and dinner at _Luigi_'_s_." Cole stated, a tiny smirk playing at the corners of his mouth, infuriating Kieran to new heights.

_He's screwing with me right? He's got to be screwing with me. . ._

"_Just-Get-Out_!" Kieran screamed, finally losing his patience.

Cole stood up calmly, butthe smirk had grown into a full blown grin. He was enjoying this entirely too much. "Do you still want me to follow her?"

"Yeah," Kieran said sharply, his fists clenched tightly at his sides. "And take next week off, okay? That good enough for you?" His eyes flashed dangerously, daring Cole to push and request more time off. Cole didn't respond, but jerked a curt nod. He found Kieran's anger intimidating, and Kieran took some solace in this.

Once Cole had left, Kieran paced anxiously around the study. He needed to know who this Aaron was and why he was so interested in Lilianna. Kieran couldn't explain it, but he had a bad feeling about this guy. He could sense it.

It was the cord. It was telling him to watch out.

Or Aaron might steal Lilianna from him forever.


	15. Animosity

**Disclaimer: I don't own the night world…just Lilianna and Kieran : )**

**Just want to thank my Beta for all of her hard work: TheBrightestNight**

**And thanks for all the reviews/adds to favorites or subscriptions. It means a lot! :D**

Lilianna felt like her body was on auto pilot. She had been like this all evening, each action insincere and planned, like she was acting out a part in a play. Aaron tells a joke. _Cue Laugh_. Aaron catches a tendril of her hair and tucks it behind her ear. _Flash flirtatious smile. _Everything felt forced and her brain was exhausted from the effort of keeping up the act.

Aaron was calm, amiable, reserved—everything she _should_ find attractive. But she was starting to realize, that as much as she wished she had romantic feelings, she could only think of him as a friend.

"So how's cheerleading going this year? Are there any big pep rallies coming up?" Aaron asked, snapping her from her reverie. His eyes were intensely focused on hers as he asked the question, like what she was saying was vastly important.

Lilianna smiled sweetly and murmured. "Pretty good. We have a pep rally next week, actually. You should go." She ducked her head and took a refreshing sip of her water, hoping to cool the sudden nervous heat that flooded through her body.

Aaron's eyes glittered at the invitation and he said pleasantly, "Looking forward to it."

Her thoughts kept guiltily drifting to the guy from the club, despite her best efforts. Lilianna smiled and bit her lip, not wanting to betray her feelings. _This isn't working. _

Everywhere she went she would spot his face, his green eyes and pale skin swirling across her vision. She would glimpse a tuft of blonde hair and whip around, swearing it was _his_ blonde hair she had seen. It never was.

It was driving her insane. She could still sense his omnipresent entity intertwined with hers, twisting around her darkest memories and easing the edge off of her sharpest emotions—and it was starting to get seriously annoying.

With this thought, she felt desperation and panic seize her. It was too invasive—there were some things that no one should ever know about her. She needed to dislodge this boy from her mind permanently before he uncovered all of her secrets.

She impulsively grabbed Aaron's hand and batted her eyelashes seductively. "So, I was thinking that maybe we could walk around downtown a bit after this?" she murmured coyly.

Aaron nodded, his jaw clamped shut, seemingly too nervous to say anything Lilianna smiled softly. Whether she liked him or not, she had to admit he was cute.

Aaron was tall and brawny. She could see the sinewy muscles in his arm flex every time he moved. His snug tee shirt hinted of a very muscular chest and washboard abs that any girl would swoon over.

His face was also beautiful. He had smooth, ebony skin and dark, tawny eyes fringed with thick lashes. His strong jaw and high cheekbones were defined and incredibly sensual.

Lilianna sighed and willed herself to feel something. A flutter in her stomach, tingles shooting down her arms, sensational prickles on the back of her neck . . . _anything_.

She felt nothing. Ever since that day in the club, it was like she was immune to boys.

She had never had trouble attracting guys. She used to bask in the attention and crave the feeling of being desired. The feeling of being noticed. Now she just wanted them all to leave her alone. She only yearned for one boy's attention now. A certain green-eyed, blond haired boy, who, for the briefest moment, touched her soul. A boy that she most likely would never see again.

_God, she was so messed up right now. . . _

Aaron's full lips were moving, his eyes peering at her questioningly. Lilianna tuned in to his voice, praying he hadn't said anything important.

". . .okay?" Aaron finished, gazing at her expectedly. His thumb traced consoling circles across the back of her hand.

"Sure," Lilianna squeaked, hoping her answer fit the question. Aaron gave her a confused look, and his thumb faltered in its circuit across her hand.

Lilianna fidgeted with her legs under the table, crossing them and then uncrossing them, and confessed apologetically. "Sorry, what did you say? I zoned out for a bit there." She bit her lip, her eyes transforming into irresistible doe eyes, begging that he would forgive her rudeness.

Aaron smiled softly, to her utter relief, not looking affronted or annoyed at her drifting attention. "I was just asking if you felt okay."

"Yeah, I'm fine," Lilianna shrugged, dropping the doe eyes now that the danger had passed. "Just sleepy. Sorry about that. I'll have to start going to bed earlier, I guess."

He chuckled and she tentatively joined in, his deep, rich baritone mingling with her light tinkle.

A bell chimed as the door of the restaurant swung open, alerting the hostess that a new customer had arrived.

A blur of blondness and pale skin whirled in her peripherals and Lilianna felt her stomach flip as sensational tingles crackled down her spine.

_It's not him, Lilianna_, she scolded herself, _it never is. So stop freaking out._

Despite these words reverberating inside her skull, she couldn't restrain herself from sneaking a glance up at the doorway.

She took in the lanky, blond teenager conversing with the short brunette waitress. Lilianna's eyes widened and her heart froze; then started hammering double time. _Okay, so? There are a lot of tall, blond boys __in the world__! Stop overreacting!_

The waitress's throaty laugh drifted across the restaurant as the boy whispered something too low for Lilianna to catch. She responded to his question and walked away, her gravelly laugh fading as she entered the kitchen.

He glanced up and caught her staring at him. A small smile played on his fine lips as his eyes locked onto hers from across the room.

Lilianna felt the air evaporate from her lungs and heat coil up in her stomach; because those glittering, green eyes were eerily familiar.

Time slowed down and the few seconds she looked into his eyes felt like an eternity. All Lilianna could hear was the rushing of her blood as it pounded through her veins. A strange feeling of belonging engulfed Lilianna as fiery tingles shot down her arms. Her vision became hazy with silver fog and Lilianna was suddenly falling. . .

Then Aaron touched her hand and she was jerked out of her trance. "What?" she asked turning back toward Aaron**.**

Aaron raised his eyebrows at her. Lilianna blushed, knowing this date was probably not going how he expected.

"Sorry, um can you excuse me for a minute?" she muttered hurriedly. She snuck another quick glance up at the boy, who was now pushing his way through the restaurant towards their table. "I need to use the bathroom."

"Sure," Aaron said wearily, letting go of her hand. She jerkily yanked her body up, and accidentally banged her knee on the table, being uncharacteristically clumsy. She winced, but gave Aaron a reassuring smile. Then she scurried off towards the bathroom, hoping the boy wouldn't dare follow her.

She griped her tiny hand around the cool metal handle of the bathroom door and yanked.

It didn't budge. _What the hell? Is it locked. . .?_

Her eyes trailed upwards and spotted the source of her troubles; a hand was pressed determinedly against the door, preventing her from opening it.

She recognized those long, pale piano fingers.

_Crap._

Lilianna drew a deep breath to settle her nerves, and then saucily swiveled around with one hand on her hip and snapped, "Can't you read? This restroom clearly says 'girls'. Which means _you_ aren't allowed."

The boy held up his hands and said quietly, "I just want to talk to you, Lilianna."

She froze. "How do you know my name?" She demanded, panic seeping into her voice.

The boy stiffened and he muttered, "Uhhh, I think I must've heard it somewhere. . ."

Lilianna's jaw dropped as a whispering, wisp of a thought popped into her head. It was the cord. It was telling her _exactly_ how he knew her name. "You sent someone to _spy _on me?" She aggressively prodded him chest, ignoring the sensational tingles this contact sent down her arm.

"Look, I know how strange this all is for you, but I can explain what's going on between us if you'll let me," the boy pleaded. His green eyes burned with a fiery desperation that took Lilianna's breath away. _God, he's so beautiful. . ._

Lilianna hesitated. She knew, rationally, that she should walk away, but found her feet refusing to budge.

She couldn't explain it. She trusted this boy—more than she trusted herself—and, somehow, she knew he would never hurt her_._ And she _was_ awfully curious. . .

"Okay, keep talking." Lilianna said, raising her eyebrows and crossing her arms tightly across her chest.

The boy looked relived. He ran his fingers through his hair once again, mussing it up in a way that made Lilianna's heart flutter. "Well, I guess I'll just get straight to the point. I think we're soulmates, Lilianna. In fact, I know we are."

Lilianna stared at him for a moment, mouth agape, and then stuttered, "I don't think—" She broke off, and then tried again. "I mean—" She bit her lip, and then tried one last time gaining composure."Soulmates don't exist."

"Yes, they do." The boy nodded, gazing at her steadily. "Trust me on this."

"Why should I trust you?" Lilianna narrowed her eyes and hissed angrily, "I don't know the first thing about you!"

"Don't you?" the boy countered, quirking an eyebrow. Lilianna resented the way the boy seemed to already know her answer.

Lilianna lowered her voice, and said firmer. "Soulmates don't exist. I would've heard about it before now."

The boy sighed, his breath tickling Lilianna's face, making her blush, and admitted, "It's a fairly new phenomenon."

Lilianna let out a choked laugh. "You are crazy."

He impulsively grabbed her arms, and then dropped them at the glare Lilianna shot at him. The boy agitatedly ran his fingers through his hair again. "Lilianna, can't you feel the cord? What is it telling you?"

Lilianna's eyes widened with shock and she spluttered. "You-you… feel the cord too?"

The boy nodded. "It's part of the Soulmate principal."

Lilianna shook her head, crossed her arms tighter, and muttered some intelligible insult.

"Look, I know this is overwhelming, but try to think about what I'm saying. It makes sense," the boy insisted.

His words set off a new wave of fury and frustration. "No," Lilianna hissed, pushing aside her shock. "That's where you're wrong. _Nothing_ you are saying is making sense!" She stomped her foot, huffing angrily.

The boy opened his mouth to respond, but was cut off by another.

"What's going on here?" the voice asked flatly.

Lilianna whipped around. _Aaron_. She smiled nervously at him, resisting the temptation to wipe away the thin sheen of sweat that beaded on the back of her neck. "Nothing, he just wanted directions."

Aaron didn't even seem to hear her. He was glowering malevolently at the boy. His usually kind and calming brown eyes were blazing with a fierce protectiveness that made Lilianna frightened for the boy's safety. His expression was predatory, and absolutely _terrifying_.

The boy was glaring back at him with equal fervor; his green eyes sparking with animosity and his jaw clenched tight.

They stared silently at each other for what seemed like forever, until finally, Aaron advanced upon them**,** slipped his arm around Lilianna's waist and steered her away. The boy didn't try to stop them.

Lilianna could feel the boy's eyes boring into the back of her head as Aaron escorted her back to the table. The shiver of a message drifted into her thoughts, in the boy's voice, _Watch out._

She turned around to respond to the boy, but found she couldn't…

He had disappeared.

**Oooo drama, I love it!**

**Let me know what u thought of this chapter:) and if anyone has any predictions about Aaron. . . **

**I'm not spilling anything, but u gotta admit: he's hiding something!**


	16. Passion

**So sorry for the long wait- i went on vacation and didnt have internet axcess-but i hope this chapter makes up for hte long wait! **

**Thanks to my Beta:TheBrightestNight:)**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the NW**

Aaron was a Night person, there was no doubt in Kieran's mind about that, but what he couldn't figure out was what he wanted with Lilianna.

His head whirled with speculation after speculation, imagining all the sinister intentions Aaron could have with Lilianna. Did he want to hurt her? Sell her as a slave? Feed off of her? Kieran needed to save her—to foilwhatever plan Aaron had in store for her.

The problem was Lilianna trusted Aaron. She was friends with this guy—Kieran could sense that much through the cord—and would not take a warning to leave him alone, well, from a strange boy she had run into a couple of times.

Kieran absentmindedly ambled into a musty book shop, his eyes needing a rest from the bright sun.

The old book keeper glanced up as a tinkling bell announced his presence. She smiled brightly and said. "Hello. Nice day out, hmm?"

"Yeah, beautiful," Kieran murmured. The old woman coughed, and gave a wrinkly smile.

"Let me know if you need any help," she said in a quivering, grandmotherly voice. She slowly limped over to a pile of books and busied herself with trying to sort them all.

"Thanks," Kieran said softly, wandering past a book shelf: TEEN SECTION. He glanced at some of the books littering the shelves. _Vampires were everywhere. _He chuckled grimly. If only humans knew what they were _really_ like.

He shrugged and picked up a book with two hands holding an apple on the cover, humoring it for a bit. He flipped open to a random page and skimmed the story for a moment.

_"Edward in the sunlight was shocking. I couldn't get used to it, though I'd been staring at him all afternoon. His skin, white despite the faint flush from yesterday's hunting trip, literally sparkled, like thousands of tiny diamonds were embedded in the surface."_

Kieran snorted and shoved the book back onto the shelf. _Sparkling vampires? Well that was a new one._ He shook his head, letting loose a low chuckle, imagining what Hunter Redfern would have to say about _that_.

His chuckle was cut off by the tinkle of the door announcing the presence of another customer. Kieran heard the old woman croak a polite greeting and offer to help.

"I'm okay," the answering voice cut through the air like a sharp knife. Kieran froze, unsure of what to do. "I'm just looking," the voice said pleasantly.

He would recognize that light, melodic voice anywhere. He peered through the shelves of the musty book case and spotted a girl with flowing, golden hair spilling over her shoulders. He crouched down in the aisle, undecided on if he wanted to reveal his presence to her.

He slowly followed her through the bookcases as she wandered around the store. He admired her skinny, tan fingers as they played with her long, amethyst, beaded necklace as she skimmed the titles of books on the shelves. He loved how she bit her bottom lip, her white teeth digging into the pink flesh of her bottom lip, as she thought deeply about something. She gently pried a book off one of the shelves. He watched as a small smile tugged up the ends of her fine lips as she read the back of it.

As he spied on her, Kieran felt, strangely, calm after all that had happened these past few days. He didn't want to stress about the wedding any longer, or about all the danger Lilianna could encounter. His soul felt heavy from all the worrying, and he constantly had a massive headache. All he really wanted was to spend some time with her**. **Besides, who would know? They were in an old, human book shop. It wasn't exactly a Night Person hotspot.

Kieran slowly crept out from his hidden crouch in the aisle, a smile spreading across his face as he finally gave into the temptation to speak to her. He sidled up beside her, shuffling his feet so that he made some noise, as to not startle her.

"Is that any good?" She was eyeing a book with a girl swathed in mystical purple fog on the cover.

Lilianna shrugged and replied, "I wouldn't know. I haven't read it." She spoke with all the air of nonchalance, but Kieran could hear her heart pounding hard in her chest.

He lifted his eyes from the book cover to hers, his own heart pounding out a jagged rhythm as his gaze latched onto those incredible brown eyes. "Lilianna?"

She smiled softly, with something like hope shining in her dark brown eyes, "Yeah?"

Kieran smiled amicably and stuck out a hand. "I don't believe we've ever been properly introduced. I'm Kieran."

She laughed, and Kieran struggled to ingrain the lovely sound into his brain, and then shook his hand. "I'm Lilianna, but you already knew that." Her mood shifted quickly and she raised her eyebrows, giving him a look. _She's still mad about that, _Kieran winced but admitted she had every right to be.

"I'm sorry for spying on you. I just wanted to make sure you were safe," Kieran attempted to explain, his tone urgent and pleading.

"Why wouldn't I be?" Lilianna challenged, placing the book back on the shelf and crossing her arms across her chest, her eyes narrowing a bit.

Kieran hesitated, about to respond, and then dropped it. It was impossible to explain without getting her killed. Instead he flashed a flirtatious smile and asked, "Do you want to walk around downtown with me?"

"You're not going to answer my question?" Lilianna asked testily.

"Nope," He held out his hand. She shook her head, like she desperately wanted to stay mad at him but couldn't, and slipped her hand into his.

. . .

"Where are you taking me?" Lilianna wondered, her eyes wide with excitement. She was clutching his hand and Kieran cherished the feeling of her warm hand in his, her fingers gripping his like they never wanted to let go.

Kieran smirked, not answering, and continued to guide her through the streets.

He led her to a lush grass field, infested with buttercups and dandelions. The sun was setting, illuminating the sky in orange fire, and the air was still warm. He led her to a park bench and sat her down, then settled down beside her.

"Now we can talk," Kieran said, dreading the questions but knowing he owed her an explanation. "I'm sure you have questions."

"Yeah," Lilianna confirmed with a small smile. Silence stretched between them and Kieran held his breath, waiting for her to speak.

Lilianna played with Kieran's fingers, trying to organize her thoughts. Heat coiled in his stomach. _Was she even aware of what her touch did to me? _

It was awhile before she spoke, and when she did it was in a whisper of a voice. "Tell me about this soulmates thing," she requested.

"Well, there's a theory that there are two people destined for each other, that their souls are connected in an inseparable bond. It's said that once you find your soulmate, you will never stop loving them. People wander the earth searching for their other half. Most never find it." Kieran murmured softly. "However, it seems to have been revived. We're not the only soulmates to have found each other recently."

"Others?" Lilianna repeated faintly. She shook her head disbelievingly. "You are aware you sound crazy, right?"

"I seem to recall you mentioning that earlier," Kieran admitted dryly and Lilianna chuckled.

"I'm not saying I don't believe you," Lilianna clarified, removing her hands from his and placing them on her lap. She bit her lip nervously and impulsively ran her fingers through her hair. "The cord, the feeling of knowing you, everything—it _feels_ like we're soulmates. I'm just saying, it _sounds_ crazy."

"Yeah, I suppose it does," Kieran admitted grimacing, thinking, _Wait until she hears about the Night World._

There was another brief silence in which both of them, uncomfortably, shifted in their seats, thinking about all that had been said between them these past few days. Suddenly, Lilianna looked up at Kieran. The love and warmth in her eyes caught him off guard. "So, tell me about yourself." She playfully nudged his shoulder. "I want to hear all about my new soulmate."

Kieran chuckled, more out of relief than anything, and nudged her back, the contact sending sparks firing up his arm. "Well, there's not much to tell. What do you want to know?"

Lilianna studied him for a moment. "What type of music do you listen to?"

"Alternative rock," Kieran replied. "What about you?"

Lilianna narrowed her eyes, unsatisfied with his vague answer. "Greenday? Flyleaf? My Chemical Romance? Another band I haven't heard of?"

Kieran nodded and answered, "All of them. I'm guessing you listen to them too?"

"A little, only when I'm feeling particularly angry," she said with a wry smile.  
>"I mostly listen to classical music," Lilianna ducked her head, her hair falling around her face like a golden curtain. "I know it's weird. I don't know, I find it soothing, I guess." She muttered, embarrassed.<p>

"No, it's not. I think it's cool. Most people just listen to bubble-gum pop and call it music." Lilianna smiled gratefully and scooted a bit closer to him on the bench. Kieran's breath hitched at her close proximity; he cleared his throat, praying his voice came out steady. "So is it my turn to ask a question?"

Lilianna batted her eyelashes seductively and answered in a sultry whisper, "What do you want to know?"

Kieran felt like his stomach was performing acrobats, and he was having trouble thinking at the moment. _Was she a tease or just clueless? _Kieran wondered_. _"What do you want to be when you grow up?" Kieran managed to get out.

"I have no idea," Lilianna laughed, a girlish tinkling sound that made Kieran's heart jump. "I like the principle of being a doctor, you know saving people and stuff, but I don't think I have the brains for it. I'm good at writing. Maybe I'll be an author."

They went on for awhile like this, asking and answering each other's questions, getting along together as if they were old friends rather than almost strangers.

They hadn't realized how much time had gone by. Before they knew it the light had dimmed and various bugs buzzed through the air.

Lilianna leaned her head against his shoulder and said, pointing to the sky. "Look, it's the first star!" She glanced up at him excitedly.

"Yeah," Kieran replied absentmindedly, not looking at the sky, but at Lilianna. The moonlight illuminated her face in an excited glow, her eyes smoky with the approaching darkness; she looked like a fallen star.

She glanced up at him and exclaimed, "You're not even looking!"

"Sorry," Kieran murmured. "I guess I'm a bit distracted."

The intensity of his gaze made Lilianna's breath catch, a faint blush coloring her cheeks, but she didn't break the eye contact. She leaned in a bit, gazing at him questioningly.

Kieran slowly closed the distance, giving her a chance to pull away if she wanted to. His lips brushed hers, hesitantly. When she didn't move away he brought his lips back to hers again, and kissed her softly for a moment. Kieran felt the cord crackling between them like electricity, intensifying every touch between them. He could sense her burning desire for him, the intensity of it setting his blood on fire, and feeding his own flames of passion.

He was completely mesmerized by the sensation of her hot lips on his, her warm breath mingling with his, and the feel of her silky skin as his hands ran up her arms and weaved into her hair. _It's so soft!_ He ran his hands through it a few times, marveling how the strands felt as they fell through his fingers.

She sighed softly against his lips and flames licked the lining of Kieran's stomach. He didn't want to push her too far tonight, or to do anything she wasn't ready for, but he found he was losing control. Fast. Without even thinking about it, his tongue snaked out and traced the valley between her lips, asking her for entrance. She opened her mouth to him, deepening the kiss, and her hands ran over his chest and gripped his hair. Kieran responded enthusiastically, kissing her passionately.

It was a good thing Kieran had fed before entering that bookstore or else he would be going into major bloodlust right now. _She's incredibly tempting. _

Then, all too soon, he was forcing himself to pull away, before they got carried away. Lilianna smiled, her face inches from his. "That was amazing." Her eyes were glistening bright, her face flushed a rosy pink.

"Yeah," Kieran agreedbreathlessly, not really in the mindset to be able to form a coherent sentence. Their kiss had been explosive, and his skin still tingled from where she had touched him. He had never experienced a kiss quite as incredible as that. He hadn't thought it was possible.

Lilianna scooted over on the bench, sensing he needed some room to recover, but kept her hand intertwined with his. She was grinning madly, and seemed to be containing girlish giggles. Kieran smirked; his soul soaring with the knowledge that he could make her feel that giddy with one kiss.

She checked the time on her cell phone and mumbled an incoherent swear under her breath. "I need to go," she informed him despondently. "When can I see you again?"

Kieran gazed at her, wishing they could stay here forever. "I'm not sure. Give me your number and I'll text you. I need to work some things out first." Lilianna pursed her lips but didn't question him, for which he was grateful. How could he possibly explain all that was going on, in a way that wouldn't get her killed? "In the mean time, stay away from Aaron—I know he's your friend, but he could be dangerous."

Lilianna nodded, somewhat grudgingly, but muttered. "I trust you."

Kieran smiled and tucked a piece of hair behind her ear. "Thank you."


	17. Darkness

**Hey guys! Just wanted to thank all you for taking the time to read my story. I was looking at my traffic stats(which i only discovered yesterday, actucally, lol) and i was blown away by the number of hits and visitors i had received. I'm so glad people are enjoying my story. If you REALLY like my writing, i would absolutely love it if you would check out my other stories. I have one Harry Potter fanfic called Inner Fire(only three reveiws so far:(...) and i'm part of a mutiple author hunger games fanfic called _The 225__th__ Hunger Games. _**

**Also, as always, a big thank you to my amazing Beta: TheBrightestNight**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the NW**

"Hey Lilianna!" a familiar voice called down the hallway. Her heart automatically lifted at the sound… and then plummeted into her stomach as Kieran's warning rang in her ears.

"Hey Aaron," she replied tonelessly, slamming her locker shut with a bit more force than necessary. She turned and hurried down the hallway, her eyes refusing to meet his. She was _really_ dreading the inescapable conversation between Aaron and herself, the one when she had to tell him to"go away and never come back."Aaron wasn't making it any easier either, with his gentle smile and likable personality. He really was an awesome friend.

He fell into step beside her, his hands automatically reaching for her books. She deftly shifted them to her left hip, just out of his reach. His brow furrowed at the gesture, but didn't comment on her behavior. Instead, he smiled invitingly and said, "I was wondering if you wanted to do something with me this afternoon."

She sighed and gently pulled him over to the side of the hallway, away from the main stream of traffic. Lilianna turned to face him, an apologetic smile tugging at the corners of her lips.

He took one glance at her expression and his face fell. "You're breaking up with me, aren't you?" Aaron groaned miserably.

Lilianna bit her lip, and tried to deliver the blow as softly as possible. "I'm terribly sorry. I just think it might be a good idea if we took a break from each other for awhile." Her heart felt heavy with guilt as she took in his pained expression.

_Oh god, he really liked me, didn't he?_

Lilianna let him absorb her words, her heart twitching horribly as his face grew hard and cold towards her. _It's for the best, _she reminded herself, suppressing the urge to revoke her words and comfort him.

"I'm sorry," she told him again, quietly, her fingers reaching foreword to brush the back of his hand hesitantly. "I really am."

Aaron stared moodily at her hand on his, not speaking. Lilianna hesitated, before gently removing her hand from his.

"Goodbye, Aaron." She brushed past him, hoping that she hadn't cut him toodeeply.

"Lilianna, wait!" Aaron called from behind her. She froze mid-step and swiveled around to face him.

"Yeah?" she responded softly.

He strode towards her, his long legs closing the distance between them with just three steps. He placed his hands firmly on the tops of her arms, and asked optimistically, his eyes bright with hope. "We can still hang out, right?"

Lilianna's stomach clenched violently. She really didn't want to shove Aaron out of her life, but Kieran's warning was stuck in her head, reverberating along the insides of her skull. Her gut was telling her that Kieran was right. Aaron could be dangerous.

Lilianna averted her eyes, unable to watch the hope diminish in his dark eyes at her next words, and mumbled softly, "I don't think that's a good idea; it might send the wrong message. I think it would be easier for both of us to just go our separate ways and pretend this never happened."

Aaron's mood blackened with every word that rolled out of her mouth. His hands were balled up into fists and his posture staunchly rigid. "Is that what you think?" he questioned flatly.

"Yeah." Lilianna squirmed uncomfortably. She didn't like the way he was staring at her, malevolent and wrathful, his dark eyes as frigid as ice.

For the first time since she met Aaron, she was scared of him. Cold sweat slicked the insides of her palms and her muscles tensed, bracing themselves to flee at a moment's notice.

Aaron leaned forward until he was mere inches from her, his breath hot against her cheek, his features carved in silent fury. "You don't know what you're dealing with, Lilianna," he spat.

Then, in one sharp movement, he turned on his heel and stalked off down the hallway.

His retreating footsteps resounded in Lilianna's ears, making her head whirl. His last words seemed to echo through the nearly empty halls: _You don't know what you're dealing with, Lilianna._

Her chest heaved choppy breaths, and her entire body felt paralyzed with fear. Chills ran down her spine, like a trickle of cold water, and she involuntarily shivered.

_Oh God. . ._

. . .

Aaron's parting words haunted Lilianna for the remainder of the day. Darci had noticed her jumpiness, and had questioned her on it, but Lilianna had deflected each question with vague reassurances that everything was fine. Eventually Darci gave up, and Lilianna was left in peace.

When the bell finally rang, signaling freedom, Lilianna bolted out of the front doors without a backwards glance. She didn't stop at her locker and she didn't take the time to copy down her English homework. She only wanted to get out of there as quickly as possible.

She didn't wait for Darci, who usually gave her a ride home. She didn't even bother getting in a car.

Her feet pounded the pavement, her muscles burning, and her hair flying wildly around her face. Her body was flushed with heat of exertion, sweat beading across her forehead and trickling down the sides of her face. She was panting for air, and had a sharp cramp digging into the side of her stomach, but she refused to rest.

She veered sharply off of the main road and into an empty neighborhood street.

_Almost home_, she pushed herself harder, ignoring her body's pleas for respite. _just a few more minutes. . . ._

Something hard slammed into her side, knocking her flat on her back onto the grass, sending colored spots dancing on the edges of her vision. Before she could catch her breath, or register the dull ache in her ribs, a great weight settled atop her.

_It's a person_, Lilianna dully registered, blinking her eyes rapidly to dispel the dancing rainbow spots obscuring her vision, _why is a person tackling me? _Then her mind cleared, the unnerving truth of what this meant a jolt to her dazed senses.

_A person's attacking me! _

Her eyes snapped open and time seemed to slow down as she observed the details of her assailant.

The man was broad shouldered, muscular, and possessed formidable height. He was completely clothed in black from head to toe, the fabric so thick it was impossible to discern any facial features. Lilianna vaguely wondered how he could see, but didn't linger on it for too long.

She struggled against his grip, trying to throw him off of her. She couldn't even get him to budge; he was too strong.

"What do you want?" Lilianna spat venomously, masking her fear with stinging distain.

The person didn't respond. Instead, he slowly removed one of his constraining hands from her arm and reached into his sock for something. Lilianna seized the opportunity and smashed her released arm violently into his face. He didn't even flinch, much to Lilianna's horror, but let out a low stream of cuss words.

"You're going to pay for that, Lili," he threatened, removing his hand from his sock.

Lilianna froze at the use of her nickname, and she spluttered, "Ho-ho-how—" She broke off as he brought his hand into view, all thoughts of her name evaporating from her mind. Lilianna's eyes widened and she gulped noisily.

He was wielding a knife. A very sharp, lethal looking knife.

"No," she begged feverishly, not taking her eyes off the metallic weapon. "Please."

The man wasn't listening to her; he was trailing his fingers along the sharp edge of the knife, taunting her. Lilianna's entire system flooded with panic, all rational thought being squashed by the primal fear coursing through her. She thrashed hysterically, tears staining her cheek, as she cried, "_leave me alone_."

The person laughed cruelly, pinning her flailing arms above her head without difficulty.

The guy leaned in close and snarled, "You should feel honored, Lilianna. Your death will stop a war."

_His voice sounds oddly familiar…._

Lilianna didn't have any time to dwell on this, or his words, with the knife still dangerously poised in his hand.

"Goodbye, Lilianna." the man said coldly positioning the knife above her heart.

Lilianna's blood pounded frantically in her ears, her thoughts becoming frenzied with fear.

_There's no escape._

The gruesome reality that had been looming over her, like a dark cloud, finally came crashing down around her, shocking her to the core.

_I'm going to die! _

Time slowed down. Lilianna eyes were latched onto the knife, hypnotized by her imminent death. She watched, fearfully, as he raised it above his head, and in one swift movement, sent it plunging into her chest. Pain exploded inside her and her gargled scream pierced the air. She shrieked in agony for what seemed like an eternity, before her voice finally gave out.

Her vision was hazy, and she could no longer feel the boy's weight pressing into her. Darkness clouded her vision, swirling the bright blue sky overhead into a murky sea of gray.

She could just barely feel the grass brushing against her back and the warm trickle of blood down her chest; she was nearly detached from her body. Her soul was floating, and her mind was wandering aimlessly.

_It's so warm here…._

The last thing she heard was someone frantically calling her name. Then she slipped away into nothingness.

**gotta love those cliff hangers, huh? :)**


	18. Soulless

**Hey everyone! Sorry for the late update. Anyway, I just want to say MCR is AWESOME! I saw their concert a couple of days ago…it was AMAZING! I love them!**

**Also thanks to my many reviewers: Paranormalcy(first reviewer!), Silvermoon-Salaire, , purple halo, puppet girl(who hasn't reviewed in awhile so I'm not sure if she's still reading this, but thanks for the positive reviews:) ), and Lundybundy. I love reading all of your reviews!:D**

**Thanks to my Beta: TheBrightestNight**

**Also, just so everyone knows: This is the ball mentioned in chapter four. **

**Happy reading:D**

Kieran stole one last glance at himself in the mirror, wearily smoothing down his tux.

Tonight was going to be miserable. Absolute torture.

Eight whole hours of dancing with Ambra.

Eight whole hours of struggling to pretend like he was desperately in love with her.

He would also have to endure Hunter Redfern's presence.

Hunter had taken a sudden, unwanted interest in the wedding. He was constantly popping into Kieran's life, slyly asking how the wedding was going. He was present at every rehearsal, every dinner, every date. If Kieran hadn't been so careful about keeping Lilianna a secret, he would have suspected that Hunter knew something.

"Kieran!" his mother bellowed up the stairs. "Ambra's here!"

He sighed heavily and faced the mirror again. He forced himself to plaster a bright smile on his face. It was hard work; all his mouth seemed to want to do was scowl.

He reluctantly descended the stairs. Ambra waited at the bottom, clothed in an elegant, green taffeta dress that accented her eyes. At seeing him, her face lit up and a stream of incessant chatter began flying out of her mouth: "Kieran, do you like my hair? I couldn't decide on how to wear it tonight. I was just going to wear a bun, but I didn't want to look plain at the ball. . ."

"No, you look beautiful," Kieran reassured with a charming smile, wincing as she launched herself excitedly into his arms.

_And the misery begins . . . _Kieran sighed to himself_._

_. . . _

The hotel lobby was lavishly decorated for the ball. There were shiny, elegant ribbons draped from the pillars, and large vases of flowers on every surface. The gold trimmed walls were painted with an elegant, romantic flower design, and the lobby was furnished with comfortable chintz chairs and couches. The black marble floor was polished and glossed, the ceiling an intricate fresco. There were butlers everywhere, offering to carry bags, coats, or anything else guests may require. The whole place echoed a feeling of luxury and extravagance; the perfect place for a vampire ball.

"The ballroom is down the hallway to the left," Kieran's mother informed him and Ambra, pointing it out to them. "You two can go ahead, your father and I are just going to check in."

Kieran nodded stiffly, while Ambra tightened her grip on his arm.

Once Kieran's mother had left to join her husband by the check-in area, Ambra glanced up at Kieran. "Let's go," she chirped excitedly, her eyes sparkling in anticipation as she impatiently began tugging him down the hall.

"Wait," Kieran stalled, the thought of dancing with Ambra making him cringe. "We don't want to be the first ones there. Let's wait a bit for more people to show up."

Ambra smiled widely. "Good thinking." She happily clung to his arm, looking at him expectantly.

_Great! Now she wants to chat, _Kieran complained angrily to himself.

Kieran stared moodily into space, racking his brain for a way to find some respite from Ambra's suffocating attentions. A sudden, devious idea formed in his head and Kieran silently thanked his quick thinking.

"Ambra?" Kieran called, getting her attention.

"Yes?" she asked hopefully, her grin so wide Kieran thought her face might split.

Kieran squinted as if he noticed something on her cheek. Then he smoothed his expression, acting like he was, politely, trying not to stare.

"Nothing, never mind," he muttered distractedly. He let his eyes dart down to her cheek, and then look away, like he was fighting with everything he had inside of him not to stare.

"Kieran, what is it? Do I have something on my face?" Ambra fretted, touching her cheek self-consciously.

"No, you look fine. . ." Kieran denied unconvincingly, his eyes lingering once again on her cheek.

Ambra's eyes widened as her cheeks flushed. Her tiny, pink lips parting in horror, she muttered hurriedly, "I'll be right back." She practically sprinted to the bathroom.

_That was almost too easy, _Kieran thought wryly.

Kieran was still basking in his accomplishment of getting rid of Ambra, that at first, he didn't notice that the lobby had become unnaturally quiet. His elation evaporated as his brain registered the fact that something was wrong. Kieran felt himself shiver as a sense of foreboding slithered down his spine; nothing good ever came from this kind of quiet.

Then one voice cut through the silence, shattering Kieran's world into a million pieces.

That voice was way too familiar for comfort, and it was calling for him.

Kieran's head shot up to meet the wide, frazzled, brown eyes of his soulmate. She staggered across the hall, ignoring all the stares she was attracting.

She wasn't drawing attention to herself because she had suddenly barged into the lobby, screaming Kieran's name. The hall was filled with noise before she entered, no one would have noticed.

It was because she looked like a madwoman.

Her hair was matted and frizzy, and had pieces of dirt hanging in clumps from it. Her eyes were feverish and as wide as saucers, constantly darting around the hall, never focusing on one object for long. Her skin was clammy with a thin sheen of sweat.

And she was dressed in a hospital gown.

Her eyes lit up as she spotted Kieran staring, speechless, from across the hall. She darted into his arms, crushing him into a tight embrace. Startled, Kieran hesitantly hugged her back. After a moment, he detangled her from his arms, wanting to see her face more clearly. Much to Kieran's horror, her eyes were wet and her cheeks were stained with tears.

"What happened? Are you okay?" Kieran demanded anxiously, for a moment forgetting where he was and who was watching. The seconds ticked by as he stared at her, awaiting her answer.

She took a deep, rattling breath and gazed at him with wild eyes. "Some-man-attacked-me… with a-a-a- knife!" Lilianna murmured frantically, like she was still struggling to believe it herself.

Kieran felt like his insides had been frozen solid.

"How did this happen?" Kieran demanded, struggling to keep his voice down. He could hear the blood gushing through his head, his heart pounding hard, as it dawned on him what this meant. Someone had tried to _kill_ Lilianna. He had almost lost her forever. _I'm going to kill whoever did this to her_, Kieran vowed silently.

"I was just running home and then… and then…" she broke off, unable to finish the sentence. Then she whimpered quietly, "I just needed to tell someone."

Kieran's head began to ache as a whirlwind of thoughts surged across his brain: _Who had tried to hurt her? Why? Was it because of him? And more interestingly, who had saved her? Why hadn't he sensed she was in danger? The bond should have told him! _

Kieran was prepared to scoop her up in his arms and run for it, when he suddenly felt a slight pressure on his left arm.

"What's going on here?" Ambra's voice was more frigid than an icicle and twice as sharp.

Kieran felt his parents scrutinizing gaze from across the room; they had finally realized that something strange was going on. Kieran knew what he had to do; it was the only way to save her.

Kieran forced his face into a mask of boredom and said loudly, "Nothing."

"Who's she?" Lilianna demanded, her pretty, full lips pulling down into a pout.

"His fiancée," Ambra hissed, her eyes flashing dangerously. She advanced upon Lilianna, still gripping Kieran's arm and snarled. "Who are _you_?"

Lilianna looked up at Kieran, her eyes begging him to deny it.

He couldn't.

Kieran felt like his heart was being torn from his chest and sawed in half. He watched in agony as various emotions flitted across her face: shock, betrayal, hurt.

He wanted to take it all back, to erase the effect Ambra's words had on her, but he knew he couldn't do that. She may be in pain now, but it was nothing compared to the hell Hunter would put her through if he found out.

He just needed to make sure she didn't give herself away.

_Please don't tell them who you are!_ Kieran pleaded her through the bond.

Lilianna's face hardened, as she received his message. Kieran held his breath, hoping that she still loved him enough to grant him this last request. She gazed at him, long and hard, and Kieran tried his best to shield his emotions from her.

He must have succeeded because she lied convincingly. "No one. I'm no one. I must have mistaken you for someone else. Your name's not Tom, is it?"

Kieran shook his head, quietly thanking Lilianna's wit. She gave a light, believable laugh, and apologized.

Only Kieran could feel the hurt that was crashing through her body in waves.

The hall slowly filled up with chatter again, as the drama passed. He could feel his parents and Ambra's suspicion evaporate.

Kieran attempted to silently communicate with Lilianna, to apologize and tell her he never wanted this to happen. But she was adamantly blocking him.

_Lilianna please, let me explain_, Kieran begged, his tone remorseful andpenitent. He would do anything to stop the agony of betrayal from ripping through her soul.

It was too late.

She was already walking away from him.

He tried again_, Please, it's not what you think!_

_LEAVE ME ALONE! _

The force of Lilianna's scream sent Kieran tumbling back into a vase of flowers, which he barely managed to save.

Before he could even catch his breath, she was gone.

_Forever_, Kieran realized hollowly, _she's not coming back._ He felt his heart plummet into his stomach at the thought. His entire being had become so centered on Lilianna in these past few weeks, that it didn't know how to function without her. He felt soulless, completely drained of life, like he was a walking zombie. He knew he could never feel whole again without her.

At the whole room's alarmed stares Kieran mumbled an apology and a brief explanation of losing his balance for a moment.

Only one pair of eyes looked back at him, cold with disbelief. Those piercing, yellow eyes saw right through Lilianna's flawless acting.

It was then that Kieran realized that Hunter Redfern knew everything.

**Just FYI, the next chapter will be this chapter, told from Lilianna's POV, so you guys will be able to see how she escaped from the hospital! **

**Reviews are greatly appreciated! :D**


	19. Heartless

**So, funny story! I was reading this other ff, a hp one called The Chosen One by fasionista33(terrible, really terrible)...and i was in it. That's right, she mentioned me in her/his story...it was reallly wierd, especially since i wasn't even reviewing...feel free to go check it out, and then tell me if ur as confused as i am about what i am doing in that story! :P**

**Anyways, i want to dedicate this chapter to Book Sessed who with all her awesomness helped me come up with the details of Lilianna's epic escape! Almost everything that happened was her idea, in one way or another. Thanks you !:)**

**Also, a ginormous thank you to my Beta:TheBrightestNight, who helped me alot with this chapter. She knows so much more about hospitals than i do, so she was able to help me figure out what Lilianna could realistically do and not do. She also had to deal with my constant pm's asking alst minute questions. So thanks for your patience and amazing editing. **

**Also, thanks to all those who have been reading/reviewing regularing:D it makes me so happy to know people are reading and enjoying my story**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the NW**

The pain suddenly hit Lilianna as the shock of what had happened wore off. Her head felt like it had been cracked open, her brain smashed to a pulp. Lilianna felt the cold trickle of blood running down her chest, the cling of her blood soaked shirt to her form.

_There's so much blood._

A fire burned where her heart should be, and her limbs were trembling uncontrollably.

_I'm dying_, Lilianna realized. Strangely, despair didn't weigh her down with this revelation. She only felt peace, acceptance. She felt the breeze on her cheek, smelled the scent of spring in the air. _It's a beautiful place to die._

Through the haze Lilianna vaguely registered voices, a sense of urgency in the air.

She kept slipping in and out of consciousness. The darkness would overtake her at random moments, pulling her under like a strong ocean undertow. In those rare moments when she was conscious long enough to notice her surroundings, she only got clips of what was happening, and even those weren't very clear.

Her soul floated in and out of her body, confused as to whether she was dead or still alive.

_Thursday._ She heard someone say it was Thursday. _Already? How long have I been dying?_

_. . ._

Lilianna's nose tingled as it was assaulted by the sharp scent of hand sanitizer. She wrinkled it in disgust. She never liked that scent, it always reminded her too much of hospitals and sick people.

_Wait._ The past couple of days came back to her in confused blimps. She _was_ in the hospital. _Am I dead? What was going on?_

She tried to sit up, but was stopped by a pair of firm hands pressing down on her chest.

"Don't move, honey," a kind voice said from above her. Lilianna blearily blinked away the darkness and focused on the person beside her. It was an elderly, plump, kind-looking nurse with beady blue eyes and fair, fine blonde hair.

"What happened?" Lilianna asked sleepily. She vaguely registered a bag hanging from something that looked like a coat rack, with tubes carrying liquid attached to her arm.

The nurse's smile faltered. "You were attacked. The hospital got an anonymous call and we got to you just in time. You're incredibly lucky. If we had arrived a second later, you probably would've been dead."

As the nurse said this, Lilianna found her brain sending her flashes of memories. The assailant. The knife. Her drawing her last breath, before everything went black.

"How-how-how did I even survive?" Lilianna asked breathlessly.

"Well, at first, we really thought you weren't going to," the nurse said with a sad smile. "You're fortunate to have type AB blood. You're a universal receiver, which means you can function with any blood type. We were able to replace all the blood you had lost very quickly." She paused, wondering how Lilianna was taking this news. When she was positive she wasn't frightening her, she continued.

"The knife just missed an essential artery. If it had plunged two centimeters more into your chest, you would've been dead. We also have some amazing surgeons working here."

"Wow," Lilianna murmured softly. "I guess I am lucky." Then something the nurse had said sunk in. _Surgery?_ Lilianna's heart froze for a second, and she hesitantly pushed her hospital gown down.

Right in between her breasts was a thick, jagged, blood-red, scar that was raised slightly higher than the rest of her skin. It was absolutely huge and undeniably hideous.

The scar would not be easy to hide, even with a high collared shirt. _And what about when I go swimming? _Lilianna wondered_. _Everyone would stare at her, wondering what had happened to such a beautiful girl to give her such a horrible, ugly scar.

Lilianna suddenly didn't feel so lucky anymore.

She felt marred, tainted. She wasn't pretty anymore . . . so what was stopping her from disappearing altogether? She was invisible enough as it was, but now that she didn't even have her looks to set her apart, what was stopping everyone from looking through her?

Nothing. Absolutely nothing.

And that terrified Lilianna more than dying.

. . .

A couple of days later Lilianna was feeling better. She could now walk around with little, to no, assistance, and she was able to stay awake the entire day. The pain from the surgery had worn off. At first it had hurt just to breathe. Her chest still felt a little sore, but now it was a dulled ache.

"Lilianna?" Her mother poked her head in.

"Hey, mom," Lilianna said, stretching her arms above her head.

"Did I wake you up?" her mother inquired, her brow creasing with worry.

"No, I was awake before you came in. I'm just sleepy." Lilianna smiled meekly and gave a tiny yawn.

"Yeah, they have you on some heavy duty painkillers." Her mother observed, eyeing the IV distastefully. She never liked the idea of hospitals, or doctors administrating drugs. She didn't trust them, for reasons unknown to Lilianna.

"Well, I'm not complaining," Lilianna admitted. "My chest hurts enough with the pain killers. I'd hate to see how it feels without them."

Her mother smiled wistfully, but didn't say anything.

"Where's everyone?" Lilianna asked after a moment. Usually her siblings accompanied her mother wherever she went.

"They're at home with Mr. Barker," her mother replied absentmindedly. Her eyes were foggy, clouded with thought.

Lilianna didn't respond. At the mention of Mr. Barker her mood immediately darkened. She would never be able to think of him as her Dad. She had never had the chance to meet her real Dad—he had left before she had been born.

"Look, Lilianna," her mother said after the silence had stretched on too long. "This whole thing has unsettled me." She glanced up at Lilianna, her eyes watery and her lip quivering. She shook her head and whispered breathlessly, "To think I could've lost you forever. . . "

Lilianna still didn't reply. She stiffened in her bed, not quite sure where her mother was going with this.

"I guess what I'm trying to say is, I'm sorry."Her mother looked up at her, fierceness burning in her eyes. "I'm sorry I'm such a bad mother, but. . . "

"But?" Lilianna probed.

"But I can't change that. I have a whole family to look after, Lilianna, and a new husband. I love you, but I can't give you what you want. I'm sorry."

Lilianna blinked, as silent tears began to stream down her face. "So am I, Mom, so am I. . ."

. . .

She needed to escape. She needed someone to talk to someone who could understand what had happened.

She needed answers.

She needed to see Kieran. She could feel his presence through the cord, and if she focused enough, she could almost feel where he was. If she just followed the tug. . .

Without really knowing what she was doing, she yanked the IV cords out of her arm. She got up and drifted down the hall.

Then she froze, as realization of what she was doing came crashing down around her. She needed a plan; she couldn't just waltz out of a hospital after being stabbed!

She ducked into a nearby empty hallway, narrowly avoiding being caught by an approaching nurse. Her eyes darted around nervously, quickly searching for a way to escape.

Her eyes locked onto a door labeled staff only that was a couple of feet away from her. She inched down the hallway, trying to make her steps stealthy and quiet. She hesitantly pressed one ear flat against the door, straining to detect if anyone was in the room.

She didn't hear anything.

She slowly turned the knob and slipped into the room. The lights were off, but Lilianna could just discern the looming rectangular mass of a table in the corner. The hum of a fridge filled her ears, and she heard the faint whistling of the air conditioning blowing through the vents. She flicked the lights back on and scanned the room. There were half drunken drinks strewn about the room, and crumpled newspapers littered the floors. The room reeked of cheap coffee and stale cookies.

Lilianna wasn't quite sure what she was looking for, but she had a feeling she'd know if she found it.

Her eyes continued to search the room for anything that could aid in her escape.

That's when she spotted it, the lab coat. It lay in a crumpled heap in the corner of the room. She climbed over one of the big, squishy tan couches and fingered it.

She picked it up and emptied the pockets. There was a blue pen and some old wads of gum, nothing useful. The ID clipped to the front left pocket identified the owner.

_SUZANNE WELLS_, Lilianna read off the ID,_ NEUROLOGIST_.

In the corner of the tiny plastic card was a picture of Suzanne. She was an ordinary looking woman, with long, twisting brown locks, intelligent brown eyes and freckly skin. Lilianna shrugged, pocketed the card and slipped on the jacket. It was Suzanne's fault for dumping her belongings so irresponsibly.

Lilianna glanced down at her feet. Now she just needed a pair of shoes. She swiftly flung open the nearest cabinet. It was mostly filled with junk; old candy bars, a rusty mirror, and some cheap romance novels. Lilianna shoved the stuff aside, digging deeper through the piles. _Bingo!_ Lilianna thought, picking up a pair of squishy, worn purple flip flops. She yanked herself off up the floor and skipped over to the door, a victorious smile creeping across her face.

Lilianna straightened her shoulders and held her chin up high. In order for her escapade to succeed, it was essential she act the part. People rarely questioned a person who appeared confident and in charge, who knew exactly what they were doing.

She flung open the door and briskly walked down the hallway, as if she were hurrying to a patient.

She passed by several doctors, many of whom mumbled incoherent greetings to her as she slipped by them. Her disguise seemed to be working, but Lilianna knew she didn't have much time left. They would soon discover that a patient was missing, and then all Hell would break loose.

She impatiently pressed the elevator button again, drumming her fingers against her thigh as she quietly hummed to herself, dreading the moment when they realized she was missing. Each person who walked by sent Lilianna's heart into a frantic pounding. She waited for one of them to glance at her and see through her feeble attempt of a disguise. Or worse, for Suzanne Wells to turn a corner and find Lilianna wearing her lab coat.

The elevator door finally opened, and Lilianna was grateful no one was in it. She scrambled in, violently jabbing the "close doors" button. The doors closed, almost painfully slow. She pressed the ground floor button and the elevator began to descend.

Lilianna stepped out of the elevator and began bustling across the ground floor, trying her best to remain inconspicuous. The doors seemed so far away, even if they were, in reality, so close. She couldn't help becoming more and more on edge the closer she came to freedom. The more time that passed, the more likely it would be that she was discovered. Her breaths became shallower with every step, her blood rushing through her head.

She was almost there, _Just another couple of steps. . . _

Lilianna was so wrapped up in her thoughts that she didn't watch where she was walking. "Sorry," she mumbled automatically, as she smacked into someone's shoulder

"Don't worry about it, honey . . . hey! Lilianna? What do you think you're doing?" It was the blonde-haired nurse that had been taking care of her.

_Oh, crap,_ she panicked, _think Lilianna, think!_

The Nurse gripped Lilianna's shoulders, attempting to take her back to her room. Lilianna struggled against her hold, throwing her arms off of her. She didn't wait for the Nurse to recover from her sudden action; she bolted towards the exit without another look.

Everyone on the ground floor froze, intrigued and excited at witnessing a patient escape from a hospital. Lilianna easily barreled through the few brave enough to stand in her way. She heard the Nurse informing security, through her walkie-talkie, that a patient was on the run.

Lilianna didn't wait for security to jump her. She darted out the front door at top speed, the lab coat flying out behind her like a superhero's cape.

She sprinted into the parking lot, diving behind a big minivan, out of the line of vision of the security.

Her chest was heaving, and she felt an uncomfortable tightness next to her heart. Lilianna wheezed a little, trying to regain her breath. She couldn't escape on foot—she'd only end up back in the hospital. _But what choice do I have?_ Lilianna grimly realized.

She hurriedly yanked off the lab coat, planning to ditch it, so she could run faster. Her muscles clenched painfully, her heart pounded in her ears, and she felt slightly dizzy. She wanted nothing more than to turn around and go back to bed, but it was too late now. She had gone too far to give up now. She braced herself to keep going, taking a deep, settling breath before shifting into a crouched lunge. She was about to flee when the loud clatter of something metal scraping the asphalt captured Lilianna's attention.

Keys had fallen out of the lab coat.

_How'd I miss those? There must be a secret pocket or something. . ._

She quickly pressed the button that unlocked the car doors. Three cars down, she heard the answering click. _Yes!_

After swiftly checking the area for security, she wasted no time sprinting to the car, throwing open the door, and getting on the road. She was officially on the run.

. . .

Lilianna should have figured she wasn't qualified to drive in her current condition.

She had only been driving for about thirty minutes before she crashed. It wasn't a massive, lethal collision. She just bumped the guardrail, and trashed the car's paint job.

And blew out one of the tires.

Lilianna huffed and angrily slithered her way out of the wreckage. _Now what?_

She shivered as a slight breeze whipped by her, her arms prickling with goose bumps.

Her feet started to trudge forward of their own accord. She wasn't quite sure where she was going, but at the same time she knew she was walking in the right direction.

_God, does that even make sense?_

Still slightly woozy from all the pain medication, she tripped often. But she always got back up again, determinedly staggering towards some unknown destination.

Her feet brought her to a big, expensive-looking hotel. Something was nagging at the back of her mind, yanking almost. She could feel the cord prodding her forward, urging her to walk through the hotel doors.

Lilianna slowly approached the hotel, silently thankful that there were no butlers roaming about by the entrance.

_They must all be inside, helping with the ball . . . Wait, what ball? How did I know there was a ball?_

She was getting something. Images, wisps of thoughts. Kieran's thoughts. He was here!

Lilianna flung open the doors and charged into the hotel, ignoring all the stares she was attracting. She spotted Kieran across the lobby from her. He was standing by himself, appearing to be deep in thought.

"Kieran!" she shouted, waving her arms a bit to get his attention as she lurched across the hall. "Kieran!"

Lilianna felt her heart lift the moment they locked eyes. Kieran was so close! He would know what to do. He would make her feel safe again.

She could read the shock and wonder in his eyes at her sudden appearance, and . . . fear?

Lilianna wasn't sure for what.

Then she realized that she must look horrible; she was clothed only in a hospital gown, her hair was a matted mess with clumps of dirt hanging in it from the crash, and her face was tight and weary with the stress of the past few hours.

She darted into his arms, needing to feel the comfort of his strong embrace. She felt her eyes become wet, as the tears she had been holding back since her attack began pouring down her face.

Kieran pulled away from her and studied her face for a moment, his eyes slowly taking in her disheveled appearance and sobs.

"What happened? Are you okay?" Kieran questioned anxiously, his eyes full of concern.

She took a deep, rattling breath and gazed at him with wild eyes. "Some-man-attacked-me… with a-a-a-knife!" Lilianna murmured frantically. She was still struggling to believe it herself.

Kieran's eyes hardened with every word that left her mouth.

"How did this happen?" Kieran demanded, his voice almost rising to a shout. He seemed to remember where they were though, and quickly brought his voice back down to a whisper. He looked murderously angry, and Lilianna hoped he wouldn't lose control of his temper.

"I was just running home and then… and then…" she broke off, unable to finish the sentence. Then she whimpered quietly, "I just needed to tell someone." _I just needed to tell you_, she amended silently.

Lilianna could practically see the questions and thoughts flickering across his face. She stared at him quietly, letting him sort out his thoughts. She hoped he didn't blame himself; it wasn't his fault he wasn't there.

Kieran opened his mouth, looking as if he was about to say something, but he was cut off by another voice.

"What's going on here?" a beautiful girl with thick blonde hair and big hazel eyes demanded. Her voice was almost territorial, as if Lilianna were taking something that belonged to her. The girl clung onto Kieran's arm, and much to Lilianna's shock, he didn't shove her off.

Kieran suddenly looked bored. "Nothing," he said loudly. Lilianna felt her eyes widen and brow furrow in confusion. _Why was Kieran acting so weird? And who _was_ this girl?_

"Who's she?" Lilianna demanded, her pretty, full lips pulling down into a pout.

"His fiancée," the girl hissed, her eyes flashing dangerously. She advanced upon Lilianna, still gripping Kieran's arm and snarled. "Who are _you_?"

Lilianna flinched at the girl's venomous tone. _Surely she was some crazy ex or something, right? Kieran would explain what was really going on in a few moments and then they would laugh about it later._

Lilianna looked up at Kieran; waiting for him to tell her that this other girl was not his fiancée, that she was the only girl for him.

He didn't.

Lilianna felt as if her soul had been plunged into the icy depths of the Arctic Ocean, her heart froze in her chest. She couldn't stop the surge of emotions from flashing across her face; shock, betrayal, hurt.

_Please don't tell them who you are!_ Lilianna stiffened as a familiar voice cut through her thoughts.

Lilianna felt her face harden, her body shutting down, as she realized what was going on here. Kieran had been cheating on his fiancée, with her, this entire time. He was never serious about their relationship; he never really cared for her. He had used her. She meant nothing to him. She was the _other girl_. And now he had the guts to beg her not to give away his infidelity!

She gazed at him, long and hard, searching for even a trace of love etched into his features. She found none.

Even as hurt tore its way through her body, extinguishing the hope he had ignited in her, she still couldn't bring herself to loathe him. She wanted him to be happy, despite how much she suffered, and she _hated_ it.

"No one. I'm no one. I must have mistaken you for someone else. Your name's not Tom, is it?" she lied convincingly, throwing in a light laugh for good measure.

Kieran shook his head, relief written all over his face.

The hall slowly filled up with chatter again, as the drama passed.

Lilianna could feel Kieran trying to force his way back into her mind, but she refused to let him in. She didn't want to hear any half-assed explanations. Kieran couldn't have them both, and he made it clear which girl he wanted.

_Lilianna please, let me explain_, Kieran begged, his tone remorseful and penitent. Lilianna felt her soul shake with hollow laughter at his words.

She didn't respond, she just swiveled on her heel and stalked away from him.

He tried again_, Please, it's not what you think!_

_LEAVE ME ALONE! _

Lilianna had the satisfaction of watching the force of her mental scream send Kieran tumbling back into a vase of flowers, which he barely managed to save.

She left before he could say anything else. She didn't want to hear it. She had seen the way he had looked at her.

She was nothing more than a shadow of his past, nothing worth fighting for.

It was almost as if she were invisible.

**This chapter was sooooo long! Like 26 pages long! **

**Review? Please?**


	20. Danger

**I know, I know, its been forever since i updated. I'm sorry:(. I was busy, my Beta was busy, and this resulted in the chapter taking forever to be updated! Anyways, i'm hoping the next chapter will be updated faster( altho i always say that and its never true...maybe i should stop saying that. I'm probably jinxing myself or something:P)**

**and to The Walrus: I dont really know why im responding to ur review, since i see u pratically everyday anyways, but...thanks for the review!(even if it is slightly stalkerish and creepy:P)**

**Also, (wait, does anyone even read these things? I feel like im blabbering to no one...ah well, whaever. I'm gonna blabber anyways:P) i was hunting for new music yesterday and guess who i found? Emilie Autumn! :D she's ammazing!:) I love the opheliac album...but maybe i just have wierd taste in music...no wait...i _do_ have wierd taste in music. Ahahha, anyways, if ur looking for new music, check her out!**

**Disclaimer: I dont own the NW.**

**A big thanks to my Beta: TheBrightestNight:)**

**enjoy! and leave a review? please?**

Ever since the night of the ball, the knife attack on Lilianna had captivated Kieran's mind. It was driving him insane that he didn't have any solid leads on it, just suspicions. It was obvious that Hunter Redfern knew about Lilianna. However, Kieran highly doubted he had attacked Lilianna. Hunter was suspicious, but since Kieran had shown no signs of ditching Ambra, why would he care about Lilianna?

Aaron on the other hand…. Kieran had a little bit more trouble clearing his name. Even though he had no hard evidence that he was responsible for hurting Lilianna, he couldn't shake the feeling that he was somehow involved.

Which is why, at this very moment, Kieran was stealthily shadowing Aaron around town. He had been following him all day. So far, nothing terribly suspicious had occurred. Aaron had gone to school, and Lilianna had avoided him. He had then gone to Daisy's Diner for a burger.

Aaron was still there. He was taking forever to finish; slowly eating his burger, and then spending another good hour or so talking to one of the waitresses.

Just when Kieran was ready to give up and go home, Aaron finally seemed to be finishing up. He quickly paid, flashed one last smile at the pretty, brunette waitress, and sauntered out onto the streets. By now, it was nearly dark out. The sun sunk low into the horizon_, _the shadows elongating as the sun set. Kieran weaved his way through the mostly deserted streets, ducking into their shadows every time Aaron looked over his shoulder.

The street shops were closing down for the night, while the clubs and pubs were just opening. Kieran watched as the downtown area transformed under the cover of night. Blaring music and raucous laughter filled the air as velvety darkness cloaked the city. Girls dressed in slinky dresses and stripper heels poured out onto the streets, tough and dangerous men with guns slipped into dark alleyways. It was like a different world. It _was_ a different world, one of recklessness, thrills, and lust. It was as close to the Night World as humans would ever get.

Kieran was completely wrapped up in his thoughts, and almost missed it when Aaron swerved sharply into a dark alley. Kieran waited a moment, and then slipped in after him, taking care to walk only in the darkest shadows. It reeked of sewage and tobacco, and the faint drip of water echoed in his ears.

Kieran could barely make out the shape of Aaron on the opposite end of the alleyway. He was speaking swiftly into a cell phone. His voice was soft, but Kieran could hear what he was saying with his vampiric senses.

"No, she doesn't have a clue," Aaron muttered briskly, "but she's pretty freaked out about being attacked . . . . Yes I know."

_Lilianna_, Kieran realized, _he's talking about Lilianna_.

Aaron paced a bit, as the person on the other end said something that Kieran couldn't quite catch.

"I've been trying, but she's been doing a very good job of avoiding me... Yes, I understand…. Yes, I'll try harder," Aaron muttered after a moment.

Kieran froze, his hands clenched into fists at the threat behind his words. Maybe Lilianna was in more trouble than he originally thought.

"Yes, I'm well aware of that," Aaron snapped suddenly, and then quieted. "Sorry boss. . . . Yes, she's the one, I'm sure of it . . . I got it covered. By next week, she'll be ours. Then we can finish this war once and for all." Aaron snapped the phone shut and stalked off the other way.

A million thoughts swirled through Kieran's mind: _What did Aaron want with Lilianna? Who was he working for? What war was she supposed to prevent? And, most important, what did he mean by she's 'the one'? _

Kieran was sure on one thing: Lilianna was in danger, and he was the only one who could save her.

**Wow! Who could Aaron be working for? And why is Lilianna stuck in the middle of it all? What _did_ he mean by Lilianna's 'the one'?**

**. . .**

**well, i'm not telling mwhahahha...but i love to hear readers thoughts! So lemme know ur predictions!**

**OH! And check out my poll! Please! It's on my profile:)**


	21. Frost

**Look! I updated faster! Yay!**

**Remember to check out my poll on my profile! I'm sure all of you Night Worlders will want your say!:D**

**Disclaimer: I, sadly, do not own the NW. Well, I own Kieran and Lilianna…and Ambra, although I'm not sure why anyone would want her…**

**A big thanks to my amazing Beta: TheBrightestNight**

**Ok, onto the story! Enjoy:D**

Lilianna was trying to focus on her Chemistry test.

Really, she was.

What was the symbol for iron again?

She was only kidding herself. She couldn't focus. Kieran occupied her every thought, his coldness consuming her until she felt as if her heart was coated with sticky snow. Her spirit felt as dead as a trampled rose, petals smeared into a blood-red pulp, the stem mangled, the thorns failing their purpose. Thorns provided no protection against something as violent as winter.

_That's it_, Lilianna realized, _I'm trapped in the middle of a bleak winter. A never ending, life-sucking winter._

A winter where nothing grows, and the coldness seeps deep into the bones. One where flesh is frosted a violet-blue, chilled by winter's hands. Limbs prickled ugly with goose bumps, teeth chattering in a pathetic and desperate measure to restore some of the heat of summer.

Her soul felt hollow, empty, like it had abandoned her. It had left her, fleeing from the frigid deadness that was eating her slowly, freezing her alive. Surely, this was the worst way to die.

Correction: she was already dead. She had died the day Kieran had looked at her with those cold and indifferent eyes, as if she were nothing more than a ghost, something that he wished would stop haunting him.

He was still in her head, the bond tugging pathetically between them, as if attempting to pull them together physically. It wasn't going to work. Lilianna never wanted to see Kieran again. All she wanted was to drown in her misery, slowly and painfully.

Alone.

That word was starting to taste sweeter and sweeter on her tongue with each passing day.

She had shoved her friends out of her life. She had quit cheerleading. She was exhausted all the time. She no longer had the energy to put up with the petty gossip and cat fights. She barely had the energy to get through the day.

She was tired of always acting like her heart was untouched by misery's hand. Like she was living a life of ignorant bliss, one where the sun always shines and people never die. But life wasn't like that, was it? You can't escape life by hiding your pain. Eventually, everything catches up to you. Life is harsh, life is pain, and anyone who denies that is lying.

Lilianna was done with being plastic.

She had shed her skin; she was now exposing everything to anyone who would look. She no longer cared about the hushed whispers that followed her as she shuffled down the halls, her head down, her hands limply swinging by her sides.

She had given up entirely. She was failing school. She was isolating herself in her suffering.

She was a woman defeated.

Lilianna felt as if her inner fire had been diminished, had been smothered and deprived of the oxygen it needed to survive, until it suffocated into ashes in her chest. Maybe that was when she truly died, when the remnants of the fire had stopped licking the inside of her rib cage. If that fire wasn't her spirit, Lilianna didn't know what was. It wasn't possible to be alive without a spirit. Therefore, Lilianna was dead.

She was as dead and cold as a decaying corpse.

. . .

The next day at school wasn't any better. If anything it was worse.

She had been in Biology when it had happened. She was doodling a rose on her the side of her notebook when suddenly the teacher called her name.

"Lilianna?" Ms. Rajan called, gazing at her expectantly.

"Yes?" Lilianna asked, quickly hiding her doodle from view.

"Would you care to explain the Calvin Cycle to the rest of the class?" Ms. Rajan raised her eyebrows, and Lilianna knew she was busted.

"Ummm, well, the Calvin Cycle begins with sunlight. . ." Lilianna babbled, not really sure where she was going with this.

_Please, let the fire alarm go off or something! _She begged. Everyone was staring at her, and she could feel a faint blush creeping across her cheeks.

Suddenly, the door opened. Lilianna sighed with relief as Ms. Rajan took her penetrating eyes off of her and focused on the new person in the room.

The person was a petite red head with glasses and lots of freckles. She glanced down at the piece of paper in her hand and announced, "Lilianna McKennon? You're wanted at the office."

Lilianna didn't care that she was probably getting into even deeper trouble. She was just glad to get out of explaining the Calvin Cycle. She quickly gathered up her books and practically sprinted out of the room. The red head gave her the pass to the office, and then took off to make some copies. Lilianna shrugged, and started down the hall towards the office, wondering what could possibly be going on.

"Lilianna!" a far too familiar voice called.

Lilianna froze, hating how her heart lifted automatically at the sound. She swiveled around, anger making her eyes spark. "What?" she hissed.

Kieran blinked, staring back at her with those beautiful, transparent green eyes. "I know you're upset with me, and I know you have every right to be, but please hear me out!"

Lilianna pretended to consider it. "Hmmm," she stroked her chin. "No," she said flatly. She swiveled back around and stalked off down the hall.

Kieran was next to her in a flash. He grabbed her arm and pulled her to a stop. She viciously yanked her arm out of his grasp, ignoring the tingled his touch sent firing up her arm. "Let me go, Kieran!" she demanded.

"Lilianna, you're in danger!" Kieran said furtively, "I overheard Aaron talking—"

Lilianna just shook her head, cutting him off sharply. "Aaron's been nothing but nice to me…. You, one the other hand… you're freaking engaged! Didn't you think to mention that?"

"You're right, and I'm sorry," Kieran said doggedly. "But please listen to me!"

Lilianna shook her head. "Go away Kieran."

Then the bell rang, and the hall was filled with students bustling to get to their locker. Lilianna quickly ducked into the crowd without a backwards glance.

**Review? Please? They make me so happy!**


	22. Rotten

**Hey guys! Sorry for the long wait, I got sick. But im better now!**

**Btw I looked at my traffic stats and at least 36 pple r reading this! thats awesome…although only 9 pple reviewed my last chapter…that's means about 25% of pple reading are reviewing…I'll admit I was hoping for a higher percentage but im just glad pple r reading it…although reviews **_**do**_** make me update faster…just a thought:)**

**Disclaimer: I don't own NW**

**A big thanks to my beta:TheBrightestNight**

**The song in this chapter is The Sharpest Lives by MCR, great song, I suggest listening to it as u read this!**

_Could my life get any more depressing right now?_

Kieran seriously doubted it. He was marrying Ambra tonight. He couldn't even stand to be in her presence for more than five minutes. How the hell was he supposed to _marry _her?

Kieran bit his tongue, his sharp teeth easily slicing through his soft flesh. It stung, and Kieran felt the squirt of blood bloom onto his taste buds. The savory copper taste of blood was driving him wild, his tongue was throbbing, but Kieran couldn't bring himself to care. He only wanted to feel something, anything besides the hollow numbness that was slowly freezing him from the inside. He needed some sort of physical reassurance that he was still alive.

He wasn't sure if he was glad or disappointed to know he was still breathing.

_I'll never see her again. _

Kieran thought his head would explode from the ceaseless thoughts swirling around his brain.

_What if she never forgives me? What if Aaron hurts her? What if she's as miserable as I am? _

He needed to drown out his thoughts, or else he was sure to insane. He picked up his iPod and flipped through the songs, searching for the darkest song he could find; anything to kill the vortex of despair that was consuming his body.

He finally found the right one and clicked play. He closed his eyes and leaned back against his chair, letting the lyrics and the intense bass riffs drown out his thoughts.

"_Well, it rains and it pours when you're out on your own,  
>If I crash on the couch can I sleep in my clothes?<br>'Cause I've spent the night dancing I'm drunk, I suppose.  
>If it looks like I'm laughing I'm really just asking to leave."<em>

Kieran imagined himself at the wedding later tonight. He would be dressed in a black tux; Ambra would be in a long white dress. He would have to walk around and greet all the guests with Ambra hanging off his arm, his face plastered in a forced smile the whole time. He would have to laugh at all their lame jokes; he would have to make a toast. He would have to vow to be faithful to Ambra, to care for her and love her forever.

Kieran felt sick. His stomach was churning like a stormy sea and his throat felt oddly constricted. He had always been told that vampires didn't suffer from human illnesses, but Kieran could swear he was about to throw up.

He curled up into a fetal position in the chair, massaging his stomach. He attempted to clear his mind, draining out all thoughts of the miserable night that was approaching at super-speed. He needed to escape from it all. He cranked the volume up louder, until his sensitive ears were throbbing from the noise assaulting his ears.

_"This alone, you're in time for the show,  
>You're the one that I need, I'm the one that you loathe,<br>You can watch me corrode like a beast in repose,  
>'Cause I love all the poison away with the boys in the band."<em>

_"I've really been on a bender and it shows,  
>So why don't you blow me a kiss before she goes?"<em>

_"Give me a shot to remember,  
>And you can take all the pain away from me.<br>A kiss and I will surrender.  
>The sharpest lives are the deadliest to lead."<em>

Kieran could feel himself start to relax as the lyrics sunk into his bones, melting the tension and easing his angst. He focused on the song entirely, refusing to let any other thoughts penetrate his conscious. It was beautiful; this one moment he allowed himself to forget the world and all his problems. It didn't matter that Lilianna was furious at him. It didn't matter that Ambra was to be his wife. It didn't matter Aaron was trying to hurt his soulmate. Kieran was floating above all that now, viewing it as though it was all a distant dream instead of dark reality.

Denial was the sweetest sin.

_"A light to burn all the empires,  
>So bright the sun is ashamed to rise and be,<br>In love with all of these vampires,  
>So you can leave like the sane abandoned me."<em>

"_There's a place in the dark where the animals go,  
>You can take off your skin in the cannibal glow."<em>

Kieran checked his watch warily. In one hour he'd be married to Ambra. The remnants of the honeyed dream-world he had conjured up, clinging like cobwebs to the corners of his soul, were ripped apart by this revelation. The small ray of hope that was impossibly alive after all that had happened this week died, suffocated to death in his chest by the impending wedding.

There was no way he and Lilianna could ever be together. There was never any way. They were doomed from the start. It was impossible; like the blooming of a rose in the dead of winter.

"_Juliet loves the beat and the lust it commands,  
>Drop the dagger and lather the blood on your hands, Romeo"<em>

Kieran heard the shuffle of footsteps on the carpet outside, and quickly shut off his iPod, shoving it under his desk. Kieran's father waltzed in the room, a bright smile tugging across his fat lips. Kieran glowered darkly at him, willing him to feel even a bit guilty about selling his son into a loveless marriage.

"You better start smiling, boy," his father threatened, seeing the glint of rebellion festering in Kieran's eyes. "You're marrying Ambra, and as far as anyone's concerned, it's the happiest day of your life, got it?"

Kieran's expression remained unchanged.

"I think I hate her," Kieran stated flatly. "I think I actually _hate_ my bride-to-be. . . ."

"Well, you'll learn to love her," his father said roughly, clapping him on the back, "like I learned to love your mother."

"You love mother?" Kieran snorted. That was the most ridiculous thing he had ever heard. "You two can barely stay in the same room together!"

"I love her—" Kieran's father began. Kieran didn't even let him finish the lie.

"I know, 'deep down', right?" Kieran drawled, rolling his eyes.

"That's not the point!" Kieran's father yelled, his face flushing red with anger. "Have an affair, whatever. The point is: you have to marry her, insufferable or not, because we can't afford a war right now. Understand? This is for the good of the entire family, perhaps the entire Night World!"

"Sure," Kieran agreed. He dropped his eyes and picked at his nails distractedly.

Kieran's father pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed heavily. He pulled a chair up and sat down next to Kieran, gazing at him intently. "There's another girl, isn't there?"

"What?" Kieran asked, a little too quickly. "No!"

"Yes, there is." His father raised his eyebrows knowingly. "I don't know who she is, but I know there's someone."

Kieran kept his expression blank.

His father continued. "Here's my advice: forget about her. You know your duty. We can't afford for you to be selfish here, Kieran. It's time you learn a little about self-sacrifice. You care about this family? Then do what needs to be done."

Then he left, leaving Kieran feeling more rotten on the inside than Lilianna ever had.

**Thanks for reading! Leave a review? Please? :D**


	23. Chills

**sorry for the long wait. This chapter was actcally all set to be posted three days ago...then i lost power...i just got it back, literally like five minutes ago...just shows how much i love you guys that this is the first thing i do:)**

**The song is Famous Last Words by MCR...its amazing...please listen to it! :D**

"Lilianna," her mother called, storming up the stairs. "Mr. Barker and I are going out. I need you to watch the children okay? Ilona's at a friend's house, but should be home around midnight. Sophie, Tristan, Tess, and Wesley all went to the football game together, I think they're sleeping over someone else's house.

" I need you to watch Ginny, Garrett and Daisy for me until I get back. I'll probably be back around one in the morning, perhaps later, depending on traffic. Remember, make sure Ginny eats all of her dinner before you give her desert. She likes to throw it in the trash, so make sure you watch her. Also, Daisy needs to drink her milk, no matter how much she hates it."

"Fine," Lilianna replied tonelessly. It's not like she had anything better to be doing on Friday night than watch three of her younger siblings.

Her mom left in a frazzled hurry, darting to the car. Ginny and Garret, being the odd twins that they were, were currently trying to see if they could read each other's minds. Daisy was playing Barbies by herself, and whining for Ginny to come play with her.

Lilianna went upstairs and flicked on her iPod. She put the volume on low so she could hear if her siblings needed her.

She scrolled through the long list of her songs, skipping over all the overtures and symphonies. She normally listened to classical music, but lately she had been obsessed with MCR. She clicked on her new favorite song, letting the lyrics drown out any thoughts of Kieran that threatened to pierce her consciousness.

"_To un-explain  
>The unforgivable,<br>Drain all the blood & give the kids a show  
>By streetlight<br>This dark night,  
>A séance down below<br>There're things that I have done  
>You never<br>Should ever know"_

Lilianna leaned back against her bed pillows, getting comfortable, shoving the pile of books on her bed off of it.

She could already feel herself begin to relax, her angst receding for a moment as she basked in the dark bass riffs and hard drum beat.  
><em>"And without you is how I disappear<br>And live my life alone  
>Forever now<br>And without you is how I disappear  
>And live my life alone<em>

_FOREVER NOW"_

Lilianna remembered how Kieran's mind had caressed her own, had whispered sweet-nothings to her, had told her she was not invisible. Her heart ached at this memory, the pain overwhelming her for a moment. She felt her soul retreat into the crevices of her heart, felt any hope that had been blooming inside her wither and die.

She missed him so much.

She longed to feel his strong arms around her again, pressing her tightly to his warm chest. She craved his laugh—it really was the most marvelous sound. Lilianna doubted there was a more delightful sound in the universe than Kieran's laugh. It was truly amazing.

She felt her stomach turn acidic with the sour taste of misery as she realized that she would never again hear Kieran laugh.

"_Who walks among the famous living dead  
>Drowns all the boys and girls inside your bed<br>And if you could talk to me  
>Tell me if it's so<br>That all the good girls go  
>To heaven<br>Well heaven knows_

_That without you is how I disappear  
>And live my life alone<br>Forever now  
>And without you is how I disappear<br>And live my life alone_

_FOREVER NOW"_

Kieran had dived into her soul, intertwined it with his own. He had treasured it, made her feel like she was something special, something worth loving.

He had made her feel visible.

Even Darci had not plunged as deep as he had into her soul.

She loved him.

This revelation surprised her, but she couldn't deny its truth. She was in love with Kieran. She would always be in love with Kieran. Her soul ached for his presence. She needed him to feel safe. She needed him to be there to help her through her darkest emotions.

He was the only thing that was keeping her from disappearing.

_"Can you hear me cry out to you?  
>Words I thought I'd choke on<br>Figure out  
>I'm really not so with you anymore<br>I'm just a ghost_

_So I can't hurt you anymore  
>So I can't hurt you anymore"<em>

Apparently he felt differently.

Anger and raw hurt flooded her body at the memory of him with his fiancée. He had used her, and then thrown her away like trash. Tears pricked the corners of her eyes, as they always did whenever she thought about Kieran. She bit down on her tongue, fighting to suppress the impulse to bawl her eyes out. She had cried enough this week. She sung the next lines out loud; imagining flinging the stinging words at Kieran.

_"And now  
>You wanna see how far down<br>I can sink?  
>Let me out!<em>

_*swear word omitted*_

_So  
>You can<br>Well now so  
>You can<br>I'm so far away from you  
>Well now so<br>You can_

_And without you is how I disappear  
>And without you is how I disappear<em>

_FOREVER  
>FOREVER NOW"<em>

. . .

"Lilianna!" Ginny called, darting up the stairs and into Lilianna's room. "Daisy fell asleep on the couch. Can you move her so we can watch Wizards of Waverly Place?"

"Sure," Lilianna agreed with a small sigh, powering down her iPod. She needed to be distracted anyways, even if it was by watching Wizards of Waverly Place on television with her two younger siblings.

"Does Garrett want to watch it?" Lilianna asked.

Ginny shrugged.

Lilianna took that as a yes.

They headed downstairs together, Ginny skipping down the stairs and Lilianna keeping her arms out to catch her if she tripped.

Garrett immediately caught up to them, whining, "Can we please move Daisy now? She's snoring!"

Lilianna rolled her eyes, while Ginny and Garrett began to bicker over whom snored louder, Daisy or Wesley. She quickly scooped Daisy into her arms; she was tiny and light. She looked so peaceful, with her pale lids shut and her tiny pink lips slightly parted in rest. Her long, curly brown hair was spilled loose over Lilianna's arms, her tiny hand clutching her small stuffed bear. Daisy was usually so hyper, it was almost strange to see her passed out, dead asleep.

Ginny and Garrett immediately began fighting over the remote. They were identical twins, each with a thick mane of white blonde hair and wide brown eyes, although Ginny had a smattering of freckles, where Garrett was as pale as a sheet. However, despite their similar appearances, they could never agree on anything.

Lilianna sighed and quickly tucked Daisy into bed, hurrying back downstairs to play peacekeeper with the twins. She snatched the remote, flipping through the channels until she found a corny family sitcom that both Ginny and Garrett enjoyed. She settled down on the couch, the stupid television show washing over her. The hours all blended into one. Before she knew it, Ginny and Garrett had fallen asleep on each other's shoulders. It was comical how much they fought, and yet they were still inseparable.

She took them up the stairs one at a time, carefully tucking them into their beds. Then she grabbed her favorite book, _Tale of Two Cities _by Charles Dickens, and headed back downstairs. She flicked on the lamp and curled up onto the couch. She quickly devoured the first chapter.

Lilianna was halfway through chapter three when she first heard it. It was a high screeching noise, almost like nails on a chalkboard.

Lilianna dropped the book, her eyes darting around nervously. It was an odd sound, not something someone hears every night. Lilianna glanced out of the window. It was pitch dark outside, impossible to make out much of anything besides the faint outline of trees, and the faint glow of a streetlamp in the distance.

She heard the patter of rain hitting the roof. It was probably the weather, nothing to worry about.

She double checked the locks on the front door, and then decided she was vastly overreacting and sat back down with her book.

She barely finished the page before the sound was back, louder than before. Lilianna's head shot up, searching the room for the source of the noise.

Then as quickly as it had come, it faded.

She slowly closed the book and placed it down on the coffee table, straining her ears for any trace of the sound. All she could hear was the creaks of the house, and the rain hitting the roof. It began pouring harder, and the windows became covered in little rivers. Against all rational thoughts, her heart began to pound in her chest, her muscles tensing with the sudden flow of adrenaline. She slowly lifted herself stealthily off of the couch, slipping into the kitchen.

Lilianna knew she was most likely overreacting, but she had a bad feeling about that sound. It didn't sound. . .natural.

It started up again, this time louder than before. Lilianna could swear it was coming from the basement. She slowly approached the basement door, and placed one trembling hand on the knob.

_Breathe, just go down there and check. It's probably the furnace malfunctioning or something stupid like that, _she ordered herself, her body quivering with fear.

Lilianna turned the doorknob, swinging open the door.

The basement looked eerily dark, like the heart of a cave. Lilianna closed her eyes and hesitantly took a step down.

_Ring!_

Lilianna's body flooded with relief at the sound of the house phone ringing. She swiftly leaped off of the basement step, slamming the door behind her and locking it, and ran to the phone. It was probably her mom calling to check up on her.

She picked up the phone.

"Hello?" she asked, relief saturating her voice. Her stomach was still fluttering from the encounter with the basement.

There was a faint buzz on the other end, nothing else.

Lilianna shrugged. Someone must have dialed the wrong number.

She made her way back into the family room, curling back up on the couch with her book. Lilianna felt her heart slow back down to its normal rhythm. She was being ridiculous.

The phone rang again, no more than two minutes later, cutting through Lilianna's consciousness like a knife. She jumped up and ran to the phone, checking caller ID this time.

_555-3309 _

It was her mom's number, she was sure of it. She picked it up and held it to her ear. "Hello? Mom?"

No answer.

"Mom? Can you hear me?"

Lilianna slowly put the phone back in the receiver. Maybe her mom was going through an area with patchy coverage.

_Whatever_, Lilianna thought, trying her best to stay calm. This was why she hated being home alone; weird stuff always happened.

She sat down at the kitchen table, pouring herself a glass of water.

Barely a minute had passed before the phone rang again. Lilianna jumped up. Sure enough, it was her mom's number flashing on the screen.

_555-3309_

Lilianna picked up the phone and answered it. "Hello?"

Again, nothing.

She threw the phone across the room in frustration. It smacked the opposite wall with a dull thud, and fell onto the tile floor.

Then it rang again.

It just wouldn't _stop_!

She didn't even bother answering it. Instead, she yanked the plugs out viciously, unplugging the entire machine. The phone bleeped once, and then the screen went dark.

She chugged her water, feeling proud of herself.

_Ring!_

Lilianna froze, her breath turning to ice. It had suddenly become unbearably cold. She shivered and her breath started coming faster and faster.

She was hyperventilating.

_Wait, calm down, it's not that weird. The phone's just … malfunctioning. Yeah, malfunctioning. No biggie. Just breathe!_

She slowly picked up the phone, her eyes fixed on the impossibly lit up screen of the phone. It was still ringing, the same number flashing on the screen.

_555-3309_

Tremors racked her body, and Lilianna barely managed to pull herself together. She stalked towards the window, a determined glint settling in her eyes. She flung open the window, the cool night air chilling her hot, flushed cheeks, and whipped the phone across the yard. It skidded to a stop some several feet away, sliding easily across the wet, slippery grass. Lilianna stood there for a moment, glowering at it, as if daring it to ring again.

It didn't, but her relief was short lived. It was a little _too_ quiet.

Absolutely no sound punctured the dense night air, the stillness was uncanny. The rain had stopped, but the air remained thick with moisture. The moon hung directly overhead, the velvety night sky as black as obsidian. All Lilianna could see were the silhouettes of the trees, the looming shadows making it almost impossible to see the yard.

Lilianna wasn't sure how long she stood there, staring out into the yard. It might've been minutes. Could've been hours. It was almost as if time ceased to exist.

_Crack._

Lilianna jumped, scrambling to get back into the house. She slammed the window behind her, sliding the locks back into place.

That crack had been unmistakable; it had been the quietest ruffling of leaves, the snap of a dry twig.

_Was someone outside?_

Her head began to spin with images of peeping toms and serial killers.

She was probably overreacting, but she had to check. She peered out of the window, almost afraid to look. At first she saw nothing except the shadowy yard. Then she saw it.

The faintest of shadows, creeping along the tree line in her backyard.

_It's probably someone just walking around outside or something... people walk around at midnight, right?, _she tried to reassure herself, glancing at the clock.

Lilianna hesitantly backed away from the window, closing the curtain.

After a moment's pause, she crept upstairs, a sudden nagging feeling that she should check on her siblings consuming her.

They were fast asleep. She sighed, relief washing over her body. She was clearly overreacting.

She stiffly got ready for bed, suppressing the urge to cry the entire time.

She picked up another book, one that was easier to read, and began to flip through it. She settled back onto her comfy bed. She just needed to be distracted. She just needed to _relax_.

Suddenly, she felt a prickling on the back of her neck, and goose bumps chilled her arms. She shivered and snuggled closer into the comforter. She felt strangely uncomfortable.

She felt watched.

Her breaths became shallow, and the sound of her blood rushing through her head filled her ears, drowning out all of her thoughts.

She put her book back down and crept to the window. Her window faced the street. The street was dark and mostly abandoned, lit only by the dim light of the streetlights. Lilianna felt her stomach drop and her eyes widen as she took in the long shadow across the street. It was a man, a tall, broad shouldered man. He was clothed in darkness, but one thing was certain, he was looking straight at her. Lilianna could feel his gaze piercing hers, the intensity of it burning her eyes.

She swiveled away from the window, flying down the stairs and into the kitchen, silent tears of terror flowing freely down her flushed cheeks.

Then she froze. It was _that_ sound again. The one that sounded like nails on a chalkboard. It cut through the dead silence, making Lilianna's stomach clench tightly in fear.

She swallowed noisily. That was the loudest of them yet, and they seemed to be getting closer.

_Where's it coming from?_

Lilianna ran past the family room, into the hall, feverishly searching for the source of the noise.

_This is a bad idea,_ Lilianna sensed, stopping mid-sprint. _I should just turn around and go hide up in my room or something._

She walked back into the hall, planning on going back upstairs, but something froze her in her tracks. It was the door.

The locks were undone.

Lilianna couldn't prevent the surge of horror from welling up inside her, couldn't prevent the rush of adrenaline from rushing to her muscles.

She had most _definitely _locked those.

The loud thump of something hitting the roof pierced the air. Lilianna had to stuff her fist in her mouth to muffle her scream. She hopped up and down a bit, hugging herself. Then she regained common sense and she darted back upstairs.

She was halfway up the stairs when she heard it again, the same sound, this time louder and much, _much_ closer.

Lilianna didn't think. She just acted. She sprinted up the remainder of the stairs, determined to reach her younger siblings.

They needed to get out of the house. She ran into her room, grabbing her cell off of the bedside table and dialing 9-1-1 for emergency. It didn't work.

She dropped the phone, focusing her attention on the more important task of saving her siblings. She quickly shook the twins and Daisy awake, hurrying them all out into the hall.

"What's going on?" Ginny demanded. "I'm tired." She heaved a heavy yawn to prove her point.

Garrett and Daisy seemed a little more concerned. "What's wrong?" they asked.

Lilianna's eyes were feverish, her face clammy and pale. She imagined she looked pretty frightening. "Everything's going to be okay. We just need to get outside okay? Really quietly." Ginny's eyes seemed to become less sleepy with every word that came out of her mouth.

She quickly motioned for them to follow and began to creep down the stairs.

Then the lights went out, and they were plunged into an impenetrable darkness. Lilianna couldn't be sure but she thought she might have heard the creak of a stair before Ginny's scream pierced the air.

Lilianna felt as if each sense was in over drive. She needed to escape; she needed to save her family.

"Run!" Lilianna screamed, shoving them up the stairs.

The pounding sound behind them was unmistakable: the intruder was right behind them.

The four of them sprinted for their lives, running into Lilianna's bedroom. Lilianna swiftly shut the door and began to barricade it shut with various furniture. She had barely finished before a great thud sound on the other side of the door, shaking the entire room.

He was breaking in.

She darted across the room and flung open her window, feeling her way in the darkness. She heard Daisy whimpering and her heart twitched. They would get out of this alive, if it was the last thing she did.

Lilianna's hand frantically searched until she finally found what she was looking for.

_The ladder_.

She had previously used it to escape when her mom was being particularly horrible. Who would have ever guessed it would save their lives?

"Come here!" she called. She heard the scuffling of feet as they all plodded towards her.

"See this ladder? Climb down it and run towards the street. Go find a neighbor who has power and call the police," Lilianna instructed hastily.

"What about you?" Garret whispered hollowly, his voice quivering.

"I'll be right behind you." It was an outright lie. The door wasn't going to hold much longer.

Lilianna helped Ginny out and Garrett out first. They were good and climbed down without protest. Daisy was the more stubborn one.

"What if you're not?" she demanded.

"Not what?" Lilianna evaded wearily.

"Right behind us?" Daisy arched an eyebrow, knowingly.

"Just run and don't look back," she replied darkly.

Then Lilianna heaved her up onto the ladder, forcing her to climb down.

The thuds were impossibly loud now, each one in time with the beating of her heart.

Then there was a mighty crash and the thuds stopped all together. He was in the room, standing right behind her. She imagined the maniacal grin spreading across his face, the large weapon he was surely wielding.

She didn't turn to face him. She never got the chance. The world swirled into black before she had so much as blinked, but not before she saw the retreating outlines of her three siblings being let into a neighbor's house.

**well on that note, Happy Halloween! **

**What is everyone dressing up as( and dont tell me "im too old to dress up!" Halloween is my favorite holiday!)? any cool costumes out there? :D My friends and i are going as the cast of Alice in Wonderland! It's gonna be epic...well when it happens. Halloween has been postponed till saturday, cause, you know, the power outages.:P**

**btw, uhhh you remeber the phone thing? that just happened to lilianna? yaa, i didnt make that up. It happened to me. It was wicked freaky! obviously, my house is haunted! **

**Review! :D please? even if its just to wish me a happy halloween:P**


	24. Doubt

**Disclaimer: I don't own the NW, obviously:P**

**Thanks for all the amazing reviews! I really appreciate it! : )**

The wedding music was like a funeral dirge in Kieran's ears. It filled the room, echoing off the walls, suffocating his ears with its sound. He was drowning in the sound. It filled his senses, vibrating to his very core, scrambling his insides until he could no longer feel his heart beating or his stomach churning.

It smothered all thoughts of Lilianna, extinguished the burning of his heart.

Kieran was numb; the music blocked out everything.

Kieran didn't mind. After all, if he was going to have to walk through fire, wasn't it better he not feel the burns?

He gazed out at the crowd from the altar, marveling at the amount of people who attended. Kieran dryly noted the extensive amount of notorious vampires and shifters in attendance. Obviously, Hunter Redfern had helped with the guest list.

Kieran skimmed his eyes over the room, searching for the gleaming red torch that was so infamously associated with Hunter Redfern.

He was approaching the altar now, decked out in his finest clothing. Hunter appeared impossibly gleeful. Kieran wondered if his blatant misery only fed Hunter's happiness.

The big wooden doors swung open and the crowd hushed. Ambra swept into the room, a demure smile toying at the corners of her lips. She was dressed in a long, sparkly white dress that covered every inch of her body. Her hair was in an elegant twisted up-do, her green eyes snapping with excitement.

She slowly waltzed down the aisle, her father clutching her right elbow, taking her time. She loved being the center of attention.

"Kieran!" a soft voice hissed near Kieran's left ear. He jumped, earning a glare from his father. He stiffened and inconspicuously leaned into the curtain behind him.

"Yes?" Kieran barely breathed. He felt the soft velvet brush against his cheek, the first feeling of comfort he had experienced this week.

He heard some rustling behind him and a soft cough. Then the voice spoke again, "You know that Lilianna girl you asked me to watch?"

Even if Kieran hadn't recognized the voice, the words were a dead giveaway: it was Cole.

Kieran quickly scanned the room for possible eavesdroppers before responding. He had a strong feeling this conversation was best kept private.

The only person close enough to hear the voice was Hunter, but he was engrossed in the wedding, his eyes trained on Ambra gliding down the aisle. Kieran decided to risk it.

He murmured in agreement, curious as to what he had to say about Lilianna.

The voice didn't answer immediately. Kieran sighed in impatience, wondering if Cole was just messing with him again.

Then the voice spoke words that made Kieran's insides freeze.

"She's been kidnapped. I think it was another Night person. I didn't get a good look."

Kieran barely suppressed his yelp as all the feeling came rushing back into him. He was no longer numb, now it was the complete opposite. Everything suddenly felt ten times more intense. It was a sensory overload.

His thoughts were consumed by the need to saved Lilianna.

By the time Kieran had resurfaced from the shock, Ambra was nearly down the aisle.

He stole a look out at the crowd. His father was laughing, chatting with Ambra's mother. It seemed like the blood feud was finally in the past.

_Forget about her. You know your duty. We can't afford for you to be selfish here, Kieran._

His father's words drifted through his mind, stifling the impulse to go after Lilianna. Kieran immediately numbed again, all of his senses being cut off by necessity. He couldn't afford to go running off to save a human; even if she was his soulmate. He had a family to look out for; he had the_ Night World_ to look out for. His father was right. He couldn't afford to be selfish here.

Ambra took a step up to the altar and Kieran ignored the twitch in his heart. She seemed so happy. Kieran flashed a charming smile, showing her he was behaving tonight. Her answering smile was so brilliant it could've blinded stars.

Hunter rambled on about how important this union was; the key factor to ending a century long blood feud. Kieran couldn't even gather the energy to snort. He had given in; he was through fighting for something he could never have.

Hunter took awhile to finish up his lengthy speech, bathing in the attention of the crowd.

When he had finally finished he proceeded to the vows.

"Do you, Ambra Ellwood, take this man to be your husband?" Hunter gazed at her expectantly.

Ambra smiled shyly and said, "I do."

Hunter smiled genially at her compliance. Then he turned to Kieran.

"Do you, Kieran Hemlock, take this beautiful woman to be your wife?"

Kieran's heart knocked against his ribs.

He stared back at Hunter, wide eyed and unable to speak.

Hunter's glower was dark enough to defile rainbows.

Kieran shuddered and opened his mouth. He only needed to say two words, _two _words, and then this whole thing would be over.

Nothing came out.

_Dammit! Why isn't anything coming out?_

He tried again, his father's voice echoing in his ears. "I-I—" he stuttered.

Hunter nodded fervently in encouragement. Ambra's eyes were wide with anticipation. The audience was filled with a hushed silence, no one daring to so much as breathe.

_Say it!_

"I-I d-d—" Kieran tried again.

_Selfish!_

His father glared at him, Hunter's fists were clenched tightly at his sides, his mother looked like she was about to die from the waiting. Ambra was looked furious. Her fists were balled up at her sides, her jaw clenched like she was trying to hold in the scream of rage that was surely ripping through her body.

_We can't afford for you to be selfish here, Kieran_, his head swirled with his father's voice, _you know your duty!_

"I d-d-d—" Kieran tried to force out. He nearly choked.

_Selfish!_

He could see the look of disappointment dawning in his mother's face, the anger clouding his father's features. He could see the tension rippling through the room and sense the animosity that was growing between the two families.

If he didn't marry Ambra, it would surely cause another blood feud, perhaps one more violent than before.

_Oh, screw it!_

Kieran shook his head, darting off of the altar and running down the aisle for the door. He heard Ambra's offended gasp, his father's angry screams, and Hunter's deadly silence. The crowd erupted in chaos as he darted out of the door; the two families that were supposed to be reunited were once again fighting. Kieran heard yelps and muted thumps, but he never turned back. He just kept running.

**Well, there's the drama people requested. Hopefully you all liked it! **

**Review? Please? **

**Oh! And check out my poll too, if you have time. I really need more voters! Thanks:D**


	25. Dread

**Hey! :D**

**Word of the day: Defenestration;** **the ****act ****of ****throwing ****a ****thing ****or ****especially ****a ****person ****out ****of ****a ****window:**

**Lol- that's my new favorite word:P**

**Ooohh! Want some laughs? Check out prank photo booth on youtube! Its hilariiiousss!**

**Also, my friends and I were using a ouiji board last night….and omg! Can my house get ANY MORE HAUNTED?**

**Anyways, enough of me rambling. Onto the chapter:)**

**Thanks for all my reviews, and a big thanks to my beta; TheBrightestNight(actucally, two big thanks, cause i forgot to last chapter:P)**

Lilianna woke with a throbbing headache, her cheek pressed against something hard and cold. She blearily blinked her eyes, trying to remember what exactly had happened.

She squeezed her eyes shut against the onslaught of images flying past her eyes in quick flashes.

_The incessant ringing of the phone… the unlocked door… the power outage… the intruder catching her…._

She opened her eyes. She realized the cold, hard thing she had felt was the floor. Her whole body ached, like the day after a particularly challenging cheer practice. Her lids felt heavy, her lips were chapped and ripped. She felt the grime on her face and in her hair.

_How long have I been out? _

Lilianna grunted and struggled to sit up. It was hard. At first, Lilianna thought it was because she was injured, but soon realized it was because her wrists and feet were bound tightly with rope. Lilianna winced as she tried to wriggle her wrists free. The course rope dug into her skin as she struggled, leaving angry red marks all along her wrists. Lilianna whimpered and let her hands drop.

_It's no use._ Lilianna realized. _Its tied way too tight._

She'd deal with the binds later; for now, she needed to try to figure out where the hell she was.

The lighting was dim, and Lilianna had to wait for her eyes to adjust before she could see anything more than shapes.

She was in a small, compact room. It was dirty, everything covered in a thin layer of dust, and mostly empty except for a few wooden crates in the far corner. The walls were cement and cold, spattered with red. Even if Lilianna couldn't have recognized the substance in the dark, the smell would have given it away.

She would know that coppery, metallic smell anywhere.

It was the stench of old blood.

Lilianna wrinkled her nose and shivered, the putrid smell sending icy chills down her spine.

It took awhile for her foggy brain to process what this meant

_Blood… the walls are covered with old, crusty, dried blood. _

She whimpered as the fragmented thoughts rushing through her mind finally connected. Her already ragged breaths became even shallower, her thoughts became frenzied.

_Oh God….Oh God….Oh God! _

Her eyes widened with horror as she took a better look around the room. It wasn't just the walls; the ceiling and the floor were also covered in blood.

_Blood everywhere…..it's like a slaughterhouse…for humans…_

She sniveled pathetically, tears streaming down her face. Her heart raced and her breaths became frantic. She felt claustrophobic, as if the walls were slowly closing around her, stealing her oxygen.

_I can't breathe!_

Lilianna struggled to regain control of her body, fighting to suppress her fear. She needed to be rational, not crazy and hysterical. She needed to _think_.

She closed her eyes for a moment, ignoring the way the creepy, blood-soaked room sent tingles of nausea rippling through her body. She focused on breathing only through her mouth, so the smell wouldn't seep into her senses. The nausea receded, and Lilianna could think again.

She opened them again, filled with a new sense of determination. She was ready to fight.

Or she _would_ be, if she didn't feel so damn tired.

_Why am I so exhausted?_

She felt as if all her bones had melted inside her, leaving her as limp as spaghetti.

The creak of a door opening cut through Lilianna's senses like a sharp blade. Lilianna saw a patch of light flash before her eyes, a brief, taunting view of freedom, before the second creak of the door sealed her inside once again. Then she heard footsteps; the sound echoing in the barren room.

Lilianna stopped breathing for a second, her body frozen with fear.

_Is he coming back to kill me? _Lilianna couldn't stop herself from picturing all the gruesome ways he could murder her.

"Lilianna," a voice boomed from somewhere. Lilianna couldn't tell from where. It seemed to be everywhere at once.

"Y-yes?" she grimaced at the weak, quavering voice that came out of her mouth.

_What happened to the strong, brave girl who escaped from the hospital and survived a knife attack? _Lilianna wondered.

Lilianna didn't feel strong or brave. She felt incredibly weak and fragile, like one touch could shatter her into a million pieces.

The man approached her and Lilianna couldn't prevent the tears from pouring down her cheeks. She still couldn't see his face; he was lingering in the shadows.

"Turn around," he commanded.

"What?" Lilianna asked, taken aback.

"You heard me!" his voice was rough and muffled, like he was trying to disguise it.

Lilianna slowly lowered herself back onto floor and rolled over. She hated it. Was this how he was going to kill her? With her back turned away, so she couldn't see his strike coming?

_This waiting . . . not knowing what's coming. It's got to be the worst type of torture._

She heard his heavy footsteps, heard him shift so he was kneeling above her, felt his hot breath on her cheek. Her breaths became ragged, her muscles clenched.

_What's he doing to me?_

She felt something sharp jab her arm, and she yelped. It hadn't really hurt; it was more the surprise. She had been expecting a gunshot or a knife wound, not a little prick.

She glanced at her arm. One single drop of blood oozed out of the tiny wound. It looked like he had stabbed her with a needle.

She heard his footsteps retreat.

"You can turn back around now, if you want. You won't be able to recognize me with all the drugs in your system," he said smugly.

_Drugs!_

Lilianna could tell they were working too. The room was very hazy, and very _energetic_. It was as if all of a sudden the room had tipped, or had been put onto a rotating wheel. Everything was spinning; the crates, the walls, the ceiling. Lilianna swallowed noisily, trying to push back down the swell of nausea rising from her stomach.

_Why couldn't the room stay the same color?_

The walls were flashing green, then red, then yellow. Her head began to spin, her stomach dropped.

Lilianna's skin beaded cold sweat, her face paled. She began to mutter to herself, trying to reassure herself that she would somehow survive.

"Lilianna?" the man called again, demanding her attention.

She looked up at him from under her lashes, too weak to sit back up.

"Yes?" she choked out, trying not to vomit.

The room was spinning too much for her to concentrate. She couldn't get a clear look at the guys face. All she got was black . . . the guy had black hair. And he was tall.

She coughed, a deep rattling cough that wracked her whole body.

Then her eyes slammed shut, and her body suddenly became unbearably hot. Her chest heaved, and her howls of pain pierced her ears. She thrashed back and forth violently, ignoring the angry welts forming on her wrist and ankles.

Lilianna was terrified. She didn't know how to make it _stop_. The burning was consuming her.

"Let. . . me. . . go!" She meant for it to sound strong and demanding, but the most she could muster was a soft, breathless whisper.

The man laughed and advanced upon her.

She weakly opened her eyes as the hot flash passed. She shivered, drenched in her own sweat.

Lilianna couldn't help thinking he looked a bit familiar.

"Who… are… you?" she asked, her voice barely a whisper.

He didn't answer, but withdrew a knife instead. The blade danced across her vision, and Lilianna couldn't tell where it actually was.

"This time there's no escape," the man said, his voice filled with malice.

The man spoke the words, but Lilianna couldn't understand him. His voice sounded distorted, like he was talking into a voice scrambler.

Lilianna coughed once more, and something wet and sticky came out of her mouth.

The man was everywhere at once.

_When will the room stop spinning?_

Lilianna wanted to escape, to save herself. But she knew there was nothing she could do. There was no way she could fight in her condition.

_This time there's no escape._

The words bounced around her brain for a long time before they registered.

_This time there's no escape._

Lilianna felt dread settle into the pit of her stomach as the words took meaning.

Her heart seized with terror because she was positive he was right. This time, there _was _no escape.

**Review? Please?**


	26. Truth

**Hey! Really sorry for the lack of updates in all my stories. I will update Where am I? eventually, but I haven't gotten a lot of reviews for it, so honestly I'm not that motivated. If no one's reading it, then what's the point? **

**But anyways, onto another tangent. I had to take a personality test for school, and I posted the results on my profile. Some of you may find this weird. If that's you, don't look at it. But I'm sure some of you are curious. So ya, it's there if u want to look at it.**

**And my poll! Please check it out!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the NW.**

**A big thanks to my Beta TheBrightestNight. She's amazing!**

Kieran's feet pounded the pavement, his mind focused on the only thing that mattered now: finding and saving Lilianna.

His feet moved with impossible speed, following the trail of her still fresh scent. The pungent smell of her fear, metallic and primal, sent chills racking through his body.

He could feel the cord; thin, yet still present. His heart lifted with hope. She wasn't dead yet. There was still time.

Kieran closed his eyes, allowing the cord to guide him. Her life force filled his senses, his whole body attuned to her presence. He could feel her fear and desperation choking him, could almost taste the salty tears that poured down her face.

He could also sense her stubbornness, her determination to live. She was still fighting.

_As long as she hasn't given up hope, neither will I_. Kieran resolutely decided, smothering the despair that threatened to overtake him.

The wind whipped against Kieran's cheeks, the pounding of his feet blended into one constant sound. He was running faster than he ever thought he could.

He suddenly stopped. Lilianna was here. He could feel it.

He slowly opened his eyes, his pupils dilating to accommodate for the thick darkness. He was standing in front of a large, rundown warehouse. It looked unstable, the whole building slightly tilted to the right, and all the windows were boarded up with planks of wood. The entire building was grimy and caked with dirt. It looked like it hadn't been used for years.

Kieran stealthily crept up to the warehouse. The strong scent of blood assaulted his nose as he approached, igniting a fire of thirst deep in his throat.

_Shit, how bad is she bleeding?_

He clenched his fists, resisting the urge to hunt. He needed to _save_ Lilianna, not drink all her blood. No matter how tempting it was.

He slipped inside the warehouse easily; the door wasn't even locked. The inside of the warehouse was just as dirty and rundown as the outside. The room was mostly empty, except for a few wooden crates scattered randomly across it. There was door at the far end of the room.

Lilianna's scent was everywhere. The warehouse was coated in it. There was no way to tell where in the warehouse she was. Kieran tried not to panic at the realization that the warehouse was comprised of three stories, each filled with many rooms.

_How am I supposed to find her now?_

Kieran figured he'd try the door across from him first. If she wasn't there, then he'd keep looking. He wouldn't stop until he found her.

He crossed the room swiftly. His long, pale fingers closed tightly around the rusty copper doorknob and jiggled it. It was locked. Kieran backed up, bracing himself to break down the door.

_Creak._

Kieran froze at the sound of the front door opening.

_It must be the kidnapper coming back to finish her off!_

Kieran ducked into the shadows, not breathing or moving, his stomach coiled in anticipation for the moment when the identity of Lilianna's kidnapper was revealed.

The tall figure looked both ways before swiftly creeping through the opening.

It was Aaron.

_I knew it! That bastard!_

He launched himself at Aaron, flying across the room at inhumane speed. Aaron gave a yelp of surprise, crumpling to the ground underneath Kieran. Kieran pinned him to the floor, snarling in his ear. "What did you do to her?"

Aaron struggled, but was unable to throw Kieran off. After a moment of fruitless struggling, he realized it was pointless.

"What are you doing?" Aaron hissed. "Get the hell off of me!" He glared at Kieran, his dark eyes bottomless black holes.

Kieran glowered back with equal fervor. "Where's Lilianna?" He demanded.

"How would I know?" Aaron sneered nastily. "Get off—"

He was cut off by a deafening crash that resounded through the barren room. Kieran whipped his head around. Three people stood framed in the doorway, the door lay in a wreckage heap at their feet.

Kieran was so taken aback that he lost his concentration. Aaron used this to his advantage, slamming his knee into Kieran's stomach, and then delivering a swift kick to his chest. Kieran snarled in pain as he smashed into one of the many crates littering the room.

The three figures advanced upon Kieran. One was a girl; he could tell by the long, lean legs and curve of her hips. She was tall and wore a mask over her face. The other one was tall too, but clearly male. The third figure was short and compact, also clearly male. They all moved smoothly, like hunters on the prowl. It was clear they were all Night People.

Well except for one. The girl with the mask was human. He could smell the blood coursing through her veins.

_What the hell?_

"What's going on here?" a familiar voice asked.

Kieran's eyes widened as he recognized the figures in front of him.

_Quinn!_

_Ash?_

He didn't recognize the girl.

Quinn helped Aaron up, avoiding Kieran's piercing glare.

"What is going on?" Kieran finally asked, slowly lifting himself off of the floor, giving each of them a hard glance. "What are you all doing here?"

They all glanced at each other, communicating silently. Aaron shook his head tightly. Quinn shrugged.

The girl seemed more concerned with keeping her eye on Kieran. Never once did her flashing green cat eyes leave his face. Kieran felt uneasy. She may be a human, but Kieran had the feeling she knew how to fight.

Kieran turned away from the unnerving gaze of the girl and faced Ash.

"Explain," he hissed, his green eyes as hard as emeralds, "now."

Ash must have sensed Kieran's waning patience, because he immediately began to explain, "We're all a part of Circle Daybreak. We've been watching Lilianna for some time now."

"Right," Kieran scoffed, rolling his eyes. "I'm supposed to believe that you two joined Circle Daybreak? You hate humans."

"You're right, they did," Aaron said, his voice thick with hostility. "At least until they met their soulmates."

Ash and Quinn nodded, confirming Aaron's statement.

Kieran's heart twisted with betrayal. Ash and Quinn had joined Circle Daybreak without telling him! What else had they been doing behind his back?

"Keep talking," Kieran allowed, his voice tight with barely constrained anger.

"Wouldn't you rather save your girlfriend?" Aaron asked dryly. "Her kidnapper isn't exactly going to wait until we finish having this chat to kill Lilianna."

Kieran was silent for a while before he spluttered, "That—You—What—" He pinched the bridge of his nose, and then tried again. "I—you—uh."

He was silent once more, trying to settle the internal war that was raging inside him. A part of him wanted to trust the odd trio; after all, he had been good friends with Quinn and Ash almost his entire life.

But they had lied to him.

Kieran felt like his head would explode from all the thoughts rushing through his head.

He needed to decide. Fast. Lilianna's life was at stake.

Kieran closed his eyes briefly, praying he wouldn't regret his decision. "You're right," he admitted. "Let's talk later."

The tall girl stuck her hand out stiffly, "Rashel."

"Kieran," he replied, quickly shaking her hand.

"Time for introductions later," Aaron said, taking charge. "I'm sure the kidnapper has heard us by now. We need to get moving."

He started to stalk towards the door, but Rashel held out a hand to stop him. "We need a plan," she corrected. "I'm sure she's heavily guarded. We need to come up with a way to sneak past all the guards."

Quinn, who had been mute the whole time, spoke up at this. "I know just the way."

**Love it? Hate it? **

**Let me know! I love feedback! It makes all the time I put into writing this worth it!**


	27. Complete

**Okay, so this is gonna be one super long authors note, but please bear with me. Everything I have to say is IMPORTANT, so PLEASE READ IT ALL.**

**First and foremost, im sorry this chapter took so long. I had writers block, and I'm also a bit of a perfectionist, so I wanted to wait until I felt this chapter was absolutely perfect. Hopefully, its worth the wait. Sorry if it isn't. **

**Also, this is the last chapter! Woohooo! And since this is the last chapter, this is also the last chance to review! I know a lot of people read my story without reviewing (traffic stats says 63 people are reading my story..wow that's a lot…sooo I should get 63 reviews, right? lol) Please, I'm begging you to leave a review; especially if you don't normally review. It really makes me feel accomplished when I get a lot of reviews, and it makes all the time I put into writing it worthwhile. I promise to respond to every review I get :D**

**Thanks you to everyone who has been reviewing/ reading regularly. It means a lot to me.**

**Also, now that I'm finished with Bloodfeud, I'll be focusing on finishing Where Am I?...and then I need a new story. That's where you come in. I have a couple ideas bouncing around my brain and I'm wondering if you guys could help me out. I have a few more OC soulmate stories I could write; one involving a mental hospital and some murders, another involving human twin girls, one of which is a vampire hunter, and two brothers from the NW and a whole lot of dramatic irony, and the third about a lamia girl who works for the council and is sent to solve the mystery of disappearing humans in a small rural town. I also have a Mary Lynnette and Ash story I could write; it's gonna be creepy though, just to warn you. PLEASE VOTE! Let me know what you want me to write. If I get no votes, I guess I'll just pick one.**

**Thanks so much to my Beta; TheBrightestNight; you're amazing! :DDDD I really appreciate all the time you've put into helping me edit this story.**

**And a big thanks to my super awesome friend The Walrus for all the feedback. She helped me think of an idea of how to end it; I was soo stuck. So thanks:D **

**Disclaimer: I don't own the NW**

Lilianna watched as her kidnapper raised the knife above his head, preparing to plunge it into her chest again. This time, Lilianna was sure it would be fatal.

Lilianna squeezed her eyes shut, waiting for the pain to explode in her chest. She felt anticipation coil deep in her stomach.

The wait was torture.

_What was taking him so long? Why couldn't he just kill me already? _

Lilianna slowly opened her eyes, wondering what the holdup was. The kidnapper was kneeling next to her, perfectly still with the knife still poised in the air, ready to strike. He tilted his head, and hollered something Lilianna didn't understand. The door opened; the light pouring from the opening overly bright to her sensitive eyes.

"Yes, boss?" a voice from the door asked.

"I heard a noise. Go check it out." Her kidnapper commanded angrily. "It's probably her stupid boyfriend coming to save her. We won't need many guards to take him down." The kidnapper smirked smugly.

_Kieran! He was coming!_

Lilianna felt hope stir in her chest. She just needed to stay alive, distract the kidnapper until Kieran came. Then everything would be alright.

The kidnapper turned back toward her. Lilianna still couldn't recognize him, but his image was becoming clearer. The room had stopped spinning, and the flashing colors had stopped dancing across her vision. The only effects of the drugs left were a pounding headache and slightly bleary vision. Lilianna blinked a few times, disbelief swelling in her stomach at the realization that the drugs were nearly out of her system. She was feeling better by the second, stronger.

Then she realized that her kidnapper must know what's happening; he must be able to see the brightness of her eyes returning, her skin returning to its former healthy glow, hear her breathing become more regular. She couldn't let him know her strength was returning. Her only chance for escape lied in catching him by surprise, completely off guard. She needed to trick him into thinking she wasn't a threat anymore.

She melted her face into one that was weak and tired. She tried the look nauseous, closing her eyes and fluttering them lightly.

The kidnapper turned back around to face Lilianna, his eyes flashing with vindictive pleasure as her eyes widened with panic. She needed to think of a distraction, and fast.

"Isn't it custom….to … give someone a last request…before they…die?" she said, making her voice sound feeble, like she was on the brink of death.

The kidnapper hesitated, the knife hovering in mid air, dangerously close to her chest. Then he smiled, shifting closer. His face was no longer in shadows, and Lilianna had to stifle her gasp of surprise as she recognized him.

The shock of black hair, the pale skin, and the ice blue eyes. It was the bouncer from the club, whom she had flirted shamelessly with to get in. _What was his name again?_

_Flint._

_But, what does he want from me? _

She decided to ask him. "Why are you trying to kill me? What did I ever do to you?" she asked softly. "Those questions are my last request."

"You typically only get one last request," Flint said flatly.

Lilianna didn't answer, just closed her eyes and prayed he would start talking soon.

He sighed. "Fine, you'll be dead soon enough, anyways."

Lilianna did a small cross against her leg, thanking God that he had complied with her request. His willingness to talk may save her life.

"It all started that night at the club. I thought there was something a little… strange… about you. So I called up my good friend Hunter Redfern and asked him about you. I described you to him, and he told me something absolutely_ fascinating_." His ice blue eyes glowed with malicious glee at Lilianna's obvious terror and confusion.

"What?" She asked, her voice trembling. A sense of foreboding slithered down her spine. "Who's Hunter Redfern?"

"I can't tell you that," Flint said tauntingly, a malevolent grin spreading across his face. "I'm sworn to secrecy."

"Okay," Lilianna stalled. "So you found out that there's something… um…, 'fascinating' about me… then what?"

"Well, then we had to kill you."

"Kill me….to stop a war….?" Lilianna suddenly remembered. She glanced up at him curiously. "What war?"

"The apocalypse," Flint said, so casually that at first Lilianna didn't register what he had said.

"The-the apocalypse?" Lilianna's eyes widened. "I think you got the wrong girl."

"Oh, no," Flint said firmly. "You're her. I'm sure of it."

Lilianna couldn't doubt the spark of conviction in his eyes. She saw him raise the knife, taking her silence as an end of her request.

"Well, there's got to be something more you can tell me!" Lilianna pleaded, her eyes flooding with desperation. "Please!"

Flint hesitated. He lowered the knife.

"Fine. You're going to die anyways, so I suppose it doesn't matter if I break any more laws. Besides, it'll be fun to see your reaction." Flint smiled cruelly at this thought.

"M-my reaction?" Lilianna repeated, befuddled by his response.

Flint ignored her and dived right into the explaining part: "I'm not human. I'm a vampire."

Lilianna blinked. "What?"

"I'm a vampire," he repeated, completely serious.

Lilianna wanted desperately to scoff at this statement, but figured it was better not to accuse her captor of being crazy. "Okay, um, go on," she requested, struggling to keep her voice steady.

Flint snorted. "Not quite the reaction I was hoping for. But this next part is sure to get a good one out of you."

Lilianna leaned forward, anxious and curious at the same time, "Yeah?"

"You're part dragon. And you're the only thing that can sense the presence of the Wild Powers. You also have the capability to kill the dragons Hunter has awakened to help fight the war. Therefore, you're too much of a risk. Hunter can't let you live; you might support the Daybreakers. Then we'd be in big trouble." Flint's voice was hard and merciless, his mouth twisted in a spiteful sneer.

Lilianna stared at him. Did he really just tell her she was part _dragon_?

_He's got to be screwing with me. _

Lilianna studied his expression for a hint of jest._ No, he looks serious._

_Oh God, I'm being held hostage by a _lunatic_!_

"Um. Wow. I would _not_ have guessed that as a motive for killing me. I mean, I thought maybe that you might want money, or that you might want my hair to make some crazy-serial-killer wig or something….but me being part _dragon_? That's a new one." Lilianna rolled her eyes, and gave a sharp, short bark of derisive laughter. It was all for show though; on the inside she was terrified by his words.

Flint looked amused at her reaction. "So your reaction to that is ….sarcasm. Nice."

Lilianna swallowed noisily. He had raised the knife again, a demonic expression clouding his traditionally attractive features, twisting them into something hideous and ugly.

Lilianna sucked in a deep breath, preparing to let out a blood curling scream. If anyone was in a ten mile radius, she would be sure they heard her.

Suddenly there was a big crash, and the door flew open. Flint whipped around, his attention diverted towards the four figures that stood framed in the doorway. The light poured in around them, casting their silhouettes onto the floor. Lilianna used the opportunity to start crawling away from Flint. Lilianna ignored the pain in her wrists as she used her arms to drag herself across the floor; her hands were still bound in front of her and were of no use to her.

"Lilianna!" a frantic voice called form the doorway.

Lilianna froze.

"Lilianna! Are you okay?" the voice called again.

_Kieran._

Lilianna didn't care that she was supposed to be mad at him. She didn't care that the last time she had seen him, she had basically told him to go away and never come back. Hell, she didn't even care that he was _engaged_. She was just glad to see him.

She faced the doorway. "Kieran! Yeah, I'm okay!" she called back.

At the sound of her voice, Flint noticed that she was no longer behind him. Flint was on top of her in a flash, pinning her to the floor.

Then, just as quickly, he was gone.

Lilianna shook her head, slowly sitting up. Somehow, Flint had been thrown across the room into a pile of crates, and Kieran was now next to her.

She looked up at him. "How did you do that?" she asked breathlessly.

Kieran didn't answer her, just looked at her for a long time. Lilianna felt herself begin to fall. Her vision became clouded with a pink fog, her mind began to float.

"Kieran," The voice brought Lilianna back to reality. She recognized that voice.

"Aaron?" Lilianna said, surprised. "And… Ash?"

She didn't recognize the other two; a short, pale boy with a ruffle of black hair and a tall girl with tilted green eyes and long black hair.

Flint was lying motionless across the room. Lilianna wondered if he was dead or just unconscious.

The girl walked up to Flint, extracting a wooden stake from her boot. Lilianna watched with horror as she plunged the stake into his chest. The body of Flint transformed before her very eyes. His skin became wrinkled and sallow, his eyes turned glassy and flat. It appeared as if all the moisture had been sucked out of his skin, like he had somehow been mummified.

She felt the air rapidly whooshing in and out of her lungs, but couldn't seem to catch her breath. Her head was spinning, her throat became dry, her eyes filled with panicked tears. She couldn't get the image of Flint's body shriveling out of her brain; it kept replaying over and over before her eyes. It felt surreal. _Was it a dream?_ Lilianna pinched herself and yelped. It was real.

"What-what jus-just happened?" Lilianna finally managed to get out.

No one answered. The girl gave Lilianna a sympathetic look before glancing at Kieran.

He sighed wearily. "You really don't want to know."

Lilianna stared at the body, her hands shaking slightly, her eyes frozen wide with shock and disbelief.

_Bodies don't just shrivel up like that! _She thought, and then_**, **__why wasn't Kieran explaining anything?_

Lilianna was about to demand an explanation when suddenly Kieran, Aaron, Ash, and the short, black haired boy tensed. The girl looked alarmingly at the boy. "What is it, Quinn?"

"Someone's here," Quinn said tightly.

That's when a man stepped through the doorway. He must have been lurking in the warehouse all this time, listening.

He was tall and classically handsome. He had pallid skin, and beautiful, gleaming red hair. His green eyes were narrowed, his mouth turned up in a malicious grin.

Kieran crouched down in front of Lilianna and hissed menacingly, never looking fiercer; his glower was full of hatred, his face taunt with determination.

The girl exchanged a short glance with Quinn. Ash crouched down like Kieran, preparing to fight. Aaron snarled ferociously, glaring at the man with endless animosity.

Lilianna would normally raise eyebrows at their odd behavior—normal teenage boys didn't hiss, or snarl—but she was too desperate to be saved to really care.

"Hunter," Kieran spat, addressing the formidable red head, "I should have known it was you all along."

_Hunter… _Lilianna thought… _That sounds familiar. Wait, wasn't that the man Flint mentioned? Why does Kieran know him? _Lilianna wondered.

"Oh, hello Kieran," Hunter said, almost pleasantly. "How are you?"

Kieran chuckled grimly. "Not too good," he said dryly.

Hunter shrugged. "I suppose this is what happens when you fall in love with the wrong person."

Kieran gave a mild snort and said sardonically, "You mean _vermin_?"

Lilianna's eyes widened.

"I am most certainly _not_ vermin!" She huffed, giving Kieran an angry glare.

Hunter frowned. "No, you're not. That's the problem."

Now it was Kieran's turn to look surprised. "What?"

"Oh, she's part dragon," Hunter said nonchalantly.

Kieran looked at Ash, shocked.

Ash nodded, and said softly. "It's true, unfortunately."

Lilianna felt light headed. The air whooshed in and out of her lungs, and time seemed to stop. Did Ash just _agree_ with the crazy idea that she is half dragon?

She watched as Hunter opened his mouth to say something. His words snapped her back to reality: "Well, as entertaining as this has all been, I think it's time to wrap it up." He snapped his fingers.

Four burly men burst in through the door. Lilianna felt fear seize her heart at the sight of them. They didn't look human; their eyes were too dark, too emotionless, their faces too perfect, their snarls too feral.

The first man launched himself at the girl. Lilianna had to admire her courage; she didn't scream. She didn't even look fazed. She did withdraw what appeared to be a silver stake though.

She dove out of the man's way, nimbly rolling and then somehow ending back up on her feet again.

They circled each other once, the man still snarling fiercely, the girl still looking impossibly calm.

Then something happened that made Lilianna scream.

The man shifted. His face began to contort; his teeth narrowed into points, his body grew longer and wider, hair spurted from his skin.

He was a werewolf.

Lilianna felt her vision swirl. Her ears were pierced by the sound of her own shrill screaming. The same three words kept circling around her head:

_Werewolves are real._

Kieran silently tried to calm her down. He reached out to her, as if to comfort her. She shook her head, sliding out of his grasp.

Lilianna just wanted to escape, to run out of the door and never look back.

The girl let out a hiss of pain, directing Lilianna's attention back to the fight. The wolf had somehow sunk his teeth into her arm. Quinn stepped forward, about to help.

"Stay back Quinn!" the girl yelled.

Quinn ignored her, and kept coming forward.

The girl swung her knee forcibly into the wolf's stomach and he let go of her arm. She spun around the minute she was free, delivering a swift kick to his face. The wolf stumbled backwards, clutching its face and snarling angrily. The girl wasted no time in plunging the silver stake into its chest.

The wolf staggered a little, and then sunk to the ground whimpering. Lilianna watched as the wolf turned back into a man. His face was as white as a sheet, his eyes staring forward, frozen with surprise. He was dead.

The girl swiveled around to face Quinn and arched an eyebrow. "I told you to stay back."

The boy's mouth turned up into a small, awed smile, but he didn't answer.

Lilianna had been so focused on the battle between the girl and the wolves that she hadn't noticed that the three other men Hunter had brought with him had also shifted, and were now also engaged in battle.

Not only that, but Aaron had seemed to disappear.

Ash was facing a grey colored wolf with a gashed scar along his left cheek. Lilianna watched in amazement as Ash dodged each of the wolf's strikes, seeming to know his next move before he even made it.

She watched as a black wolf clawed at a beautiful brown wolf. Lilianna couldn't help but think that the beautiful brown wolf looked oddly familiar. But, of course, that was ridiculous.

_I think I would know it if I met a werewolf, _Lilianna reminded herself silently.

There was also a reddish colored wolf that was circling around Quinn, trying to decide when to attack.

The girl with the long black hair and green eyes gave a yelp, and that was the only warning Quinn got before he was thrown to the ground. The wolf gave a victorious howl, and raised his claw to swipe at Quinn's face.

Only Quinn was prepared. He reached inside his coat pocket and extracted a silver key. He jabbed it into the wolf's eye. The wolf let out a wounded yelp and climbed off of him, retreating into the back corner of the room.

Quinn had tackled him to the ground in a matter of seconds. He moved with what should have been impossible speed.

The wolf's eye was dripping blood. It splattered onto the floor, and some of it got on Quinn's shirt. Quinn held up his hand and the girl tossed him a silver stake. He stabbed the wolf with the stake, right in the heart. Quinn tossed the stake back at the girl, who caught it mid-jump and plunged it into the black wolf's heart. The brown wolf gave an appreciative yip as he was freed from the black wolf's grip.

_It was almost as if they were one person,_ Lilianna observed, _the way they seemed to know just what the other was thinking…._

During all these mini battles Kieran and Hunter had been staring at each other, neither of them making a move. It almost seemed as if they were measuring each other up. Ash had somehow found his way across the room, and was helping the girl and Quinn finish off the other wolf.

Hunter took a small step forward, his smile taunting, not seeming the least bit worried that all but one of his little cronies had all been slaughtered.

Kieran let out a low growl.

Kieran's back was to Lilianna, but she could imagine his expression; jaw clenched tight, his eyes like green daggers.

Lilianna watched as Hunter's face started to change. Only Hunter wasn't a werewolf. Lilianna watched in disbelief as his face became brighter, his features sharper, his teeth elongating into fine feline points. His eyes became silvery, his pupils dilating until the iris was only a tiny, shining rim. He looked frightening.

Lilianna felt dread rip through her, felt her heart go up in flames. Kieran was going to die. There was no way he could fight a vampire and win. It was impossible.

Kieran couldn't die. She didn't think she would survive it. She loved him too deeply. Their souls were intertwined; their hearts beat for each other. If one died…. Lilianna didn't know what happened to the other soulmate when one died, but she knew it was probably worse than death.

Lilianna closed her eyes, unable to bear the horror of having her soulmate murdered before her very eyes.

But to Lilianna's surprise, she heard a loud hiss escape Kieran's mouth and a startled yelp from Hunter. Lilianna's eyes shot open. Could it be?

_Yes. _

Kieran and Hunter were engaged in a swift battle across the room. They were moving so fast that Lilianna couldn't tell who was winning.

She could tell one thing, though. Kieran was a vampire.

And if Kieran was a vampire, then everything Flint had said must be true; because never, in a million years, would Lilianna have believed that anything so perfect as Kieran could be anything other than human. If she had been wrong about that, she had to have been wrong about everything else.

She felt as if everything around her had exploded. She had been taught since a young age that basic beliefs were truths: _vampires aren't real. Werewolves don't exist. There are no such things as monsters._

They had been wrong. Monsters did exist.

And she was one of them.

. . .

Everything she had ever known had been a lie.

Who were her _real_ parents? Lilianna certainly never saw any sign of her mother being a dragon. Then again, _she_ had never shown any signs of being half dragon.

_How can someone be half dragon and not know it?_

She felt her heart sink with the realization that she could be dangerous. What if she transformed without meaning to and killed a bunch of innocent people? Maybe she was better off dead. Maybe Flint was right to try to kill her. Maybe she deserved to die.

She watched as Kieran and Hunter continued to fight; their limbs flying at impossible speed, their punches packing more power than even the brawniest human could muster. Ash, the girl, and Quinn were watching the battle intently, clearly trying to calculate when they should jump in.

Aaron was still missing, but a brown wolf stood behind Ash. Lilianna let out a grim chuckle. Why should she be surprised? Is everyone she knows something _other_ than human? Lilianna shook her head, letting out another bubble of slightly hysterical laughter.

_Next, Darci's going to come barging in here with a wand, and a three-headed dog. _

Then something happened that set Lilianna's world on fire. Hunter pinned Kieran in the far cornerand went in for the kill. Lilianna felt herself become detached from the world. She was in Kieran's mind.

_I'm sorry Lilianna. I love you. _His voice echoed through her head. Lilianna could feel the emotion behind the words; the aching misery at the thought of leaving her.

Lilianna vaguely heard the scream of the girl echoing in her ears, and heard the low hiss that escaped Ash's lips. She heard the pounding of their footsteps as they rushed to go save him. There was no use, they'd never get there in time; one of Hunter's cronies was making it impossible. He stood protectively in front of Hunter and Kieran, keeping them isolated from the rest of the fight.

_No, No, No! This can't be happening .I can't live without you. _Lilianna's head spun with these thoughts.

Lilianna watched as Hunter pulled a wooden stake out of his pocket. "I've saved this one just for you." Hunter's lips turned up into a smirk, his eyes cold with hatred.

And then he plunged the stake into Kieran's chest.

. . .

Lilianna felt her heart drop into her stomach, and felt her soul fly out to go save him.

_Kieran stay with me! Don't leave me! I need you! I love you! _She frantically sent these thoughts through the bond, desperately trying to reach him, to make him come back.

He didn't respond. She felt the bond flicker between them, struggling to keep them connected as he drifted farther and farther away.

Hunter twisted the stake inside his chest, and Kieran let out a scream of pain. Lilianna felt the sharp dig in her own chest, felt the blood dribbling down his front.

_This can't happen. I have to do something!_

Lilianna's vision was obscured by a thin haze of red fog. Her limbs began to tremble, her heart began to pound.

Then she changed.

She had the strange feeling of being stretched and altered, her skin becoming rough and scaly, her face expanding, her nose narrowing into a hyper sensitive snout. The bonds ripped as her hands morphed into large, sharp talons. Her vision suddenly became ten times better and she felt something swishing behind her. She looked behind her. It was a long, golden scaled tail.

_My tail_, she realized, her head spinning.

Hunter looked up at the roar that ripped from her lips. For the first time since Lilianna had seen Hunter, fear clouded his arrogant features.

Lilianna advanced upon him, and he backed up, abandoning Kieran's half-dead body. He backed right into the girl. She jumped onto his back and started pounding her fists into his head screaming something about him murdering her mom and stealing Timmy. Lilianna wasn't really listening; she was more focused on Kieran.

She watched as he took one last shallow, rasping breath. His eyelids fluttered and his face looked clammy and unnaturally pale. Lilianna felt sorrow well up inside her, the sadness washing through her like a tsunami.

Then the connection was severed and Lilianna felt a devastating crash inside her. Kieran was dead.

She couldn't hold back tears any longer. They started trickling down her cheeks, her tears splashed onto the floor in front of her. Lilianna sank down onto her hind haunches, and slowly pulled the stake out of Kieran's chest, throwing it across the room, and rested her head on Kieran's chest. There was no sound of a heartbeat against her cheek, no heat radiating from his body.

A deep throaty moan escaped her lips, an animalistic cry of despair. She blinked her eyes, feeling the tears pour freely down her face. They splashed onto Kieran's face and chest, soaking his shirt with their golden color. The liquid mixed with the deep red blood, swirling it into some sickly orange hue.

Then Lilianna lost it. She lost herself in her misery, letting it consume her every being. She was drowning in it. Her soulmate was dead, the cord hanging limply between them. It was no longer vibrant silver, but a dull gray.

Lilianna felt her body begin to shrink again. She didn't care that she was now in her more vulnerable form, she didn't care that Hunter was still raging a battle behind her. She didn't care that he could easily sneak up behind her and kill her. She didn't care about anything besides the fact that Kieran was dead. She collapsed on the ground, sobbing into Kieran's chest. Then she let herself drift away with him.

. . .

"Lilianna!" The desperate cry of the girl rang in her ears. She felt her shoulder being shaken. "Wake up!"

Lilianna didn't feel inclined to open her eyes. What was the point? Kieran was dead.

"Please," the girl's voice broke, like she was crying. She felt her salty tears against her cheek.

"She can't hear you," a boy's voice said softly.

"You don't know that!" the girl shot back. "Many doctors believe that people in comas can hear everything you say, and that talking to them can help encourage them to wake up!"

"Rashel," the boy said gently. "Let it go. She's been like this for two weeks. She's not waking up."

The girl**, **Rashel, ignored him. "Lilianna please wake up," the girl began pleading again. "If not for me, then for him."

Lilianna's eyelids fluttered.

_Him._

She could almost feel his presence surrounding her, could nearly feel the cord vibrating against her soul.

It was all in her head. Kieran was dead. She had let him die.

But it felt so _real._

"Look her eyelids fluttered!" Rashel exclaimed. "It was when I said 'him'."

The boy, which Lilianna realized was probablyQuinn**,** didn't answer.

After a prolonged silence, Rashel sighed, and Lilianna heard her shift. "He's still too weak to walk?"

"Yeah," Quinn said grimly. "And Lord Thierry won't let him see her. He thinks it would be too much for him to see her like this."

_Who were they talking about?_

Lilianna heard the scrape of the door sliding against the floor.

"Hey Thea," Rashel greeted.

"How's she doing?" a soft, female voice asked.

"Her eyelids fluttered," Rashel shared.

"That's a good sign," Thea said encouragingly. "Perhaps she's getting better."

"I don't think she'll get better until _he_ does," Quinn said softly. "If not then, then I don't know when."

Curiosity pricked Lilianna's brain. _Who was this man they talked of?_ The only possibility she could think of was Ash.

But Ash wouldn't have the power to convince her to open her eyes. Only one man would ever have the power to make her want to live again.

_Kieran._

Hope stirred in her chest. Was it even possible that Kieran had survived?

_No,_ came the immediate response of her mind. _You felt the cord being severed yourself. He's dead; dead and gone._

Lilianna heard the door open for the third time.

A chirpy, female voice filled the room. "He's ready! Thierry finally gave in this morning. Lady Hannah convinced him."

Soft, excited murmurs filled the room at this announcement.

_Who's ready? What's happening?_

Then Lilianna heard his voice. The voice that she never thought she'd ever hear again. "How's she doing?" he asked.

_No._

_It can't be true. My mind must be playing a trick on me. I felt the life float from him, cried against his stone-cold corpse. There was no way Kieran could be alive. I had seen him die._

"Can I have a minute alone with her?" The boy-who-sounded-like-Kieran asked.

She heard the shuffle of feet and the creak of the door as it was closed. Silence hummed throughout the room.

"Lilianna," he said sweetly. Lilianna felt her heart melt. "Sweetie, can you please wake up?"

Lilianna's mind froze.

"Please," he said, and Lilianna felt his soft breath caress her cheek.

Then she felt a voice in her mind. Not just any voice, his voice. She would recognize it anywhere; it was the sweetest sound in the world.

_Please wake up. It's me, Kieran; your soulmate. Please don't leave me._

Lilianna opened her eyes.

"Kieran," she breathed.

She watched as his expression brightened, his eyes green fire. He swept her up in his arms, pressing her against his chest.

_You woke up! _He kept repeating in her mind, as if he couldn't believe his good luck.

_You're alive! How?_

_I'm not too sure how that happened. Lord Thierry said that your tears healed me. Apparently, dragons have some sort of mystical healing powers._

_Really? I have healing powers? Maybe being half-dragon isn't as bad as I first thought! _

She felt Kieran chuckle in her mind_. _

_Wait, Lord Thierry? _

_We're at Circle Daybreak headquarters, and he's the leader. He's also the Lord of the Night World. He's very nice. He's come in to visit a few times. You probably don't remember that though._

_No, I don't. What's Circle Daybreak?_

_It's an organization of made up of Night People and humans who want to stop the coming apocalypse and live in harmony with each other._

_So, everything that Flint said was true? There is a war coming, one that I could have a part in? And there are vampires, werewolves, and witches?_

_Yeah. I'm really sorry you had to find out that way. That must have been really scary._

_It's okay. I'm just glad you're alive!_

_Me too._

_I love you Kieran._

_I love you too, Lilianna._

Lilianna extracted herself for his arms, even though she would have rather stayed there all day.

Kieran studied her for a moment. "What's wrong?"

Lilianna smiled at him softly. "Nothing, really. This all just seems so surreal. I mean, I'm part dragon! I still don't quite understand how that happened. And, I still have so many questions. Where's everyone else? Was anyone else hurt?"

Kieran shook his head. "Everyone's fine. Ask me anything, I'll do my best to explain. I know this must be very sudden and confusing for you. However, Thierry's knows more about the dragon thing than I do. I think the gist of it is that your father, who you never met, was a dragon. Apparently, Hunter's been watching you since birth." Kieran gave a low growl as he said this last part.

Lilianna shivered. "He's been watching me all this time?"

Kieran's eyes flashed with anger. "Yes, he was. But it's all over now. Rashel killed him."

They sat in silence for a while as Lilianna digested that. "He's dead?"

"Dead and gone," Kieran assured her.

"Good," Lilianna said quietly.

After a moment's silence Kieran asked softly, "any other questions?"

Lilianna didn't know where to start; she had so many. Finally she spoke, "So, you're a vampire."

Kieran nodded, somewhat abashedly. "Yeah. I was going to tell you…but I didn't know how."

"How have human's lived for so long without knowing?" Lilianna asked softly.

Kieran answered, "Well, we worked hard to make sure they didn't. We created this secret society called the Night World; there's laws and everything. The laws are basically don't fall in love with a human and don't tell a human about the Night World. I've broken both."

Lilianna nodded, even thought she still didn't completely understand. She had a more important question burning in her brain though. "You're engaged?" she asked quietly.

Kieran shook his head. "I never wanted to be. I didn't love her; it was an arranged marriage. I didn't go through with it though. I _couldn't_. I ditched at the last moment. I'm sorry. I should've told you about everything before now."

Lilianna gave a small smile. "Yeah, you should've. But what's done is done."

Kieran gave her a small, tentative smile. "Do you forgive me? For everything."

Lilianna smiled. "Of course; you're my soulmate. You're the only thing that matters to me anymore. I can't live without you. You're my everything." She gave him another small kiss, and then pulled away and asked.

"Is Aaron here?"

"Yeah, you want to talk to him?"Kieran asked.

Lilianna nodded.

Kieran stood up. "I'll go find him and send him in."

"Thanks."

A few minutes later Aaron came in. He hovered near the doorway, as if he wasn't completely sure if Lilianna actually wanted him here.

Lilianna smiled. "Are you going to come in?"

Aaron slowly entered the room and sat down next to her. "How are you feeling?"

"Better," Lilianna said. She nervously played with her fingers. The tension was so thick it was nearly palpable.

Silence stretched between them. Finally, Lilianna got the nerve to ask the question that she'd been dying to ask since she found out Aaron was on Circle Daybreak.

"Were you the one who saved me the first time I was stabbed?" Lilianna asked softly, her voice barely above a whisper.

Aaron was silent for a while before nodding. "I heard your scream." Lilianna waited for a longer explanation, but none came.

Lilianna gazed at him for a long time before she said. "Thank you," her voice was filled with gratitude.

For the first time since he had entered, he gave her a real smile.

…**a few months later….**

Lilianna sat on a park bench, watching the sky turn to orange fire as the sun melted into the horizon. The quiet night air hummed with the sweet buzzing of bugs, the thick summer air warm against her skin.

She couldn't believe how drastically her life had changed over the past few months. She had been thrust into a whole new world; one filled with vampires, shifters, and witches. Everything she had ever known was turned upside down; in the Night World, prophecies came true, people could possess the formidable and extraordinary power of blue fire, and the threat of an apocalypse was more than the mad ravings of religious fanatics and homeless lunatics.

Lilianna shivered as the thought of the apocalypse pierced her consciousness. It was inescapable; the omnipresent darkness and frustration one felt at knowing an end was near. Lilianna was as worried about the coming apocalypse as everyone else, and even more worried about what role she would play in it. She still hadn't completely mastered her powers yet.

However, despite all of this, Lilianna couldn't bring herself to regret stumbling onto the Night World. For the first time in her life she felt like she belonged. The Daybreak mansion was one big family; everyone had each other's back. Lilianna could honestly say that she completely trusted every member of Circle Daybreak. She hadn't thought it possible to trust and love that many people at once.

Lilianna thought back to that first week she had spent in the mansion. At first, things between her and Aaron had been really awkward; he obviously still had feelings for her. It had gotten to the point where the tension was so bad that Lilianna dreaded being left alone with him. He never pursued her; in fact he did the complete opposite. He avoided her, only talking to her when absolutely necessary. He was always polite, but distant; he shut her out. It was miserable.

Lilianna could remember the hours she spent agonizing over how to take away Aaron's pain and become his friend again. She never came up with a solution.

Luckily, fate gave her a little help; Aaron found his soulmate.

It was none other than Darci.

Lilianna could remember the bubbling excitement and joy she had felt when she had first heard the news. The only thing that was keeping her from moving on from her old life was Darci. She couldn't help but feel a certain hole in her heart without the presence of her best friend. Once Darci joined Circle Daybreak, Lilianna felt like she could finally let go.

Lilianna smiled softly to herself at the memory of them hugging in the front hallway of the mansion.

Lilianna finally felt complete. She had everything she could ever want; a caring family, loyal friends, and of course, her soulmate. Lilianna knew that she'd never be invisible again.

**Well….how was it? Good, bad, awful? Let me know!**

**LAST CHAPTER=LAST CHANCE TO REVIEW!**

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